Manta Unfurled
Seven years after designing manta, I suddenly realized that it can actually travel in a two dimensional flattened form and then be opened up and shaped for 3 dimensional display in about 15 seconds. Duh! This just proves how seeing something day after day can make us "blind" to its features. Sometimes it is best to put something aside for a while and then view it with fresh eyes.
This is what "flat manta" looks like leaving my sudio:
All nice and flat for shipping or packing in a suitcase. Once removed from the package, you can unfurl its body. This is a top view. You can also add a gentle curve to each of its wings. There are hidden wires to hold this shaping. This image is a view from the top.
There are also hidden wires in manta's lower jaw and each cephalic fin. So you can gently shape these with your fingertips or tweezers or a needle nose pliers. It's kind of like those old fashioned gumby toys.
