NEWPORT BEACH : Origami Class Turns Scrap Paper Into Art

Barbara Pearl, a mathematics consultant who uses the Japanese art of origami to illustrate concepts, is not above scavenging for paper products to make her point.

“I encourage my students to go to garage sales to get maps. . . . Students discover how to recycle everything from magazines to newspapers to gift wrapping paper.”

Pearl will be dispatching a new crop of students in search of materials when she begins an Origami workshop at the city’s Oasis Senior Citizen Center.

The math teacher turned consultant will be using a $600 city arts grant to conduct the paper-folding workshops once a week for a month. Classes begin Oct. 7.

Pearl will introduce basic folding techniques during the hourlong workshops. Students will transform various paper products, including maps, money and business cards, into artwork suitable for framing.

The traditional ancient art of origami uses only paper to create three-dimensional forms. No scissors, glue or tape are used.

For years, Pearl has used origami to help students envision geometrical concepts and shapes such as the isosceles triangle.

“Origami is like a geometrical algorithm. . . . When you have to do things correctly and in the correct order, it’s a math skill.”

She gave up teaching in a classroom a year ago and now is director of Math in Motion, a consulting business that works with schools to enrich all curricula using origami.

At the center, Pearl said she hopes that the art will promote relaxation and socialization among students and enhance their coordination, memory recall and self-esteem.

For more information about the origami workshops or Math in Motion, call Pearl at (714) 721-0633.