Hello BalloonChat!  I'm getting very excited for my trip across the pond... I can't wait to meet all of you who can make it to the lecture!  I tend to ramble on a bit, so I'll be answering these interview questions in small groups.  Please feel free to chime in if you have any questions about the lecture material or about balloon twisting in general!  

1, What road led you into balloon modelling?

I had always wanted very desperately to be an artist of some sort… but every medium I tried (drawing, painting, carving, writing) I was never particularly good at.  For some reason, balloons have been the perfect fit for me!  Ask me to draw a monkey, and you'll get a bunch of incomprehensible scribbles.  Ask me to make a monkey out of balloons... no problem!
http://http://mrdave.balloonhq.com/complete.php?portid=11493&page=1&category=0&idl=9
My wife (who truly IS artistic) and I have pondered this, and we’ve decided the best explanation is that balloons are modular in design, and that the fixed dimensions of the materials for some reason really resonates with the way I view the world.  

2, when did you get started with balloons?

When I was 16, my best friend’s father was a professional clown.   He was looking for some additional help for overflow gigs, and so he trained me in the wide range of services his company offered: simple magic shows, juggling, face painting, stilt walking and very basic balloon twisting!  For many years I was a sort of jack of all trades, but a master of none.  So although I’ve been twisting for over 12 years now, it really wasn’t until 2007 or so, when I discovered the online community of balloon artists, that I became obsessed with balloons, and began to experiment with my own designs.  It’s all for the best, really… I was always a horrible face painter.

3, What’s your best twisting experience?

I suppose it’s a testament to how lucky we are to be in an industry that generates so many wonderful experiences that it’s difficult to single out the “best”.   My favorite events in general are the ones where I get to involve all ages!  The client might hire me to entertain the hyperactive 5 year olds, but when the sulky teenager, the bored father, the quiet grandmother, and the harried hostess herself all find themselves excitedly making requests, playing around and posing for pictures… then I know that I have helped to redefine “balloons” for that group, and I’ve been lucky enough to facilitate them getting to play, which most adults don’t do nearly often enough!

4, What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you during a ballooning/entertaining session?

This was fairly early on in my career, but I had been contracted through an agency to make balloons at a school event.  What I discovered upon arriving at the event was that the client had also been promised a magic show, which I had not been informed of, nor was I prepared to perform!  I hastily ran out to my car and cobbled together some scraps of rope (left over from a pervious cut-and-restored routine) and assembled a thumb tip out of masking tape, and managed somehow to eke out a bare-bones 20 minute magic show for the children.  I guess “worst experience” is a misnomer… although it was incredibly stressful at the time, the children ended up loving the show, and it really cemented for me the notion that performance has very little to do with props and everything to do with character and interaction.

Here's some more rambling!

5, What do you most enjoy about twisting & why?

I think any artist or craftsman runs the risk of outgrowing their passion and growing blasé.  The great thing about balloon twisting is that it combines the creative art with the performance art, and every time I make a sculpture for someone, I get to see the joy it brings them first hand.  It’s immediate feedback, and it’s a constant reminder that what I do provides happiness.  It keeps me inspired and grateful.

6, What's your favourite age to entertain?

Children are always fantastic, but I most enjoy entertaining those who think they’re “too old” for balloons.  Watching the reaction on someone’s face develop from mild interest to amazement and joy is always a treat for me.  Also, children have a tendency to fixate on one idea… make one cute butterfly at a little girl’s party, and chances are you’ll make at least 5 more.  Teens and adults tend to appreciate the concept of a unique sculpture, and are more willing to let the artist play around.

7, Do you have the same act but vary the presentation for all ages or do you have set acts for different ages?

For the most part, my repertoire remains the same for all age groups… sometimes scaled larger for adults (particularly the wearables).  My personal interaction with my audience does change with the age groups, however.  I find that with children, I’m more of a cartoon, or a caricature of myself… but with adults I try to be a little more genuine.  I am personally not a huge fan of entertainers who sound like they’re quoting from a one-liner joke book (and I’m not the best joke teller!) so I avoid that as much as possible.  I find that if I’m just a friendly and likeable fellow, my art is entertainment enough.

8, What’s your favourite thing to make at the moment?

In general, I’m a HUGE proponent of wearable art.  From a practical standpoint, people don’t like to have their hands occupied while at an event.  If they’re just handed a sculpture, it will often times be admired briefly, but then left at a table, hidden from view.  Wearable art stays visible and ideally a paying client will look out at a sea of color and fun by the end of an event.  Costumes have the added bonus of bringing out a character in the recipient, which makes for instant anecdotes and photo opportunities.  That being said, my current favorite is my “Buzz Lightyear” wing pack.  It’s instantly recognizable, kids adore the character, and invariably I’ll have some little space ranger zipping around pretending to shoot lasers from his arm!

Thanks David

I have a couple more questions....

With your stage balloon show, who or what inspires you ?

Who is your audience for your stage balloon shows?

What did you most enjoy about the Millenium Jam in November?


that is it for the moment!

thanks
Danny

Hi David, I think your work is great. A couple of years ago you shared a reindeer model online, it is brilliant. My take on it is a favourite with many people. Thank you for sharing  

I have a couple of questions for you if I may.


Who would you most like to make, or have made, a model for and what would you make them?

And why?

Danny’s Questions Part II

With your stage balloon show, who or what inspires you ?

My wife and I have only recently started performing a Balloon Stage Show.  We were familiar with Don and Laura Caldwell’s individual shows, and were interested in breaking into the school and library market.  At the Twist & Shout Balloon Convention 2010 in Chicago, Smarty Pants and Miss Dena taught a class on basic show construction.  That was in February, and by that May we had assembled a show!  It was nothing groundbreaking, but we were proud of it, and we had a lot of fun.  For the 2011 public library summer reading program, we’re working on developing our characters a bit further, and bringing our show to the next level.  We’ve been studying a lot of sources from the old Burns & Allen routines to the Animaniacs cartoons of the 90s.  We’re really looking forward to growing as performers.


Who is your audience for your stage balloon shows?

I’ve mentioned the libraries above.  Basically the public libraries run “Summer Reading Programs” to encourage children to keep up their reading during the Summer break from school.  Each location hosts various performances and activities during this period to bring local families into the libraries and keep up enthusiasm.  It’s a great program, and we love being a part of it!  The libraries make up the majority of our stage performances, but we’ve also performed our show at school assemblies and various large group events.  In general, these events are all geared towards children, but since whole families tend to be in attendance, we try our best to make sure to keep all age groups entertained!

What did you most enjoy about the Millenium Jam in November?

Millennium Jam was simply amazing!  I absolutely LOVE jamming with other artists… I really thrive on the collective experimentation and discussions.  To be able to share in that process with artists who’s work I was familiar with from the internet, but had never yet had a chance to meet in person… that was completely thrilling!  I can’t believe how lucky I am to head back across the Atlantic and see you all again so soon!  I cannot wait!

And for Professor T Wist's question:

Who would you most like to make, or have made, a model for and what would you make them?

And why?

I'd have to say Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss.  His books introduced reading as "fun" to me and countless other children... the sing-song rhyme and rhythm of his writing stays with us as adults, and the whimsical imagery and nonsense situations are pure childhood imagination fuel!  He has passed away, but if I'd had the chance, I'd have loved to have spoken with him, and come up with some zany balloons in the style of his artwork.

Thank you for your kind words, Professor!  I'm glad you're getting use out of the reindeer... that was always one of my favorite earlier pieces!

Hi David

Just wanted to thank you for the great answers to these questions - you've obviously taken a lot of time and thought over them and I, for one, really appreciate it.

Unfortunately, I'm not going to make it to your lecture, but having met you at The Millenium Jam, I know the audience are in for a fantastic day.

Thanks again

--Neil