Balloon Chat
Uncategorized Boards => The "Star" Interview => Topic started by: Graham Lee on April 04, 2008, 11:26:58 AM
Sabina will do an interview for us as well, the date is 5/11th May.
So please post any questions you might have for her.
More details about Sabina can be found at,
http://www.twistart.at (http://www.twistart.at) or http://twistart.balloonhq.com/ (http://twistart.balloonhq.com/)
She is an amazing artiste with flair & vision.
Sabina is also coming over to the UK for a lecture/workshop on Wed 9th July.
More details to follow.
Graham Lee
Sabina emailed this too me a few weeks back, thought you might like to see.
Graham Lee
Hi Sabina,
Great bunny, what advice would you give to someone just starting or wanting to make their business bigger? also what's your best and worst moment it twisting?
What is your favourite model to make and why ?
Sabina,
What is your thought process in coming up with a new design, are you lucky enough to visualise the Image in your mind that you are trying to create and you can translate that straight away into the sculpture or is it more of a trial & error process where you work your way through until your happy with the result.
Or is it something completely different.....;)
Graham Lee
Sabina,
Do u teach for free...? I'm in Singapore... can't afford air tix to go to ur jam...
How did you start off twisting? Do you prefer to make big show piece models or smaller detailed ones?
What is your favourite model and least favourite to make and why ?
Hi Sabina
How long have you been twisting? Do your children still get excited with your creations or does it get harder to impress? Are you coming to the Millennium Jam this year?
Please keep firing away with your questions to Sabina, she has been away over the weekend at a juggling convention teaching balloons and is a full time mum (what other kind is there?) and she also works as well. So as you can see she is busy, busy, busy but will be logging on to answer your questions.
Graham Lee
I have a slight technical problem :) Sabina has sent me over the answers to your questions; BUT in a programme that I cant open at the moment. Just downloading something off the internet that I'm hoping will sort out the problem for me,
fingers crossed :D
With my expertise on a computer what could possibly go wrong :o
Graham Lee
Good news, opened Sabina's attachment;
Although the smiley faces etc seem to have gone missing in places?
Great bunny, what advice would you give to someone just starting or wanting to make their business bigger? also what's your best and worst moment it twisting? Dave
Since I started to twist around 10 years ago my life became brighter and more colorful because I had a lot of wonderful moments in twisting! One of the best moments was the unexpected winning of the first price at the millennium jam in Mol in 2004 – Actually I thought my sculpture would be too small and unspectacular but other contestants persuaded me to enter the contest, even so they had their own entries!
My worst "moment", it took 2 hours, was a party for children I accepted at the beginning of my "twister-career"– the parents told me, I should twist balloons for around 10 children aged from 5 to 9 years, maybe one child would be younger. Actually there where 15 children aged 2-4years and one boy who was 9 years old. The 9years old was the worst, he took my pump and took it as a gun... some of the small children where afraid of me because I was face painted as a clown (that's what the parents asked me to do) and they wanted the inflated balloons and of course didn't want to wait for figures. Most of the parents sat around, nobody helped me but they filmed the mess ...
Finally when I came back to my car I had got a parking ticket ...
My advice for someone just starting: Don`t try to be a clown, if you don't feel to be one,
Only accept jobs and conditions you feel comfortable with!
Try to find out your own power – why did you start to twist? ...because you like to entertain? ... because of the creative aspect? Do you prefer to be funny or elegant? And trust your own feelings!
Create your own performing personality – must not be spectacular but you should feel comfortable whenever you wear your performing-clothes.
Try to perform! If a magician shows a legerdemain it's entertainment. Because a twister produces something we sometimes only focus to the result and forget that the twisting process could/should be entertainment too.
Therefore only twist figures you really know well if performing in front of your public
Since I started to twist around 10 years ago my life became brighter and more colorful because I had a lot of wonderful moments in twisting! One of the best moments was the unexpected winning of the first price at the millennium jam in Mol in 2004 – Actually I thought my sculpture would be too small and unspectacular but other contestants persuaded me to enter the contest, even so they had their own entries!
My worst "moment", it took 2 hours, was a party for children I accepted at the beginning of my "twister-career"– the parents told me, I should twist balloons for around 10 children aged from 5 to 9 years, maybe one child would be younger. Actually there where 15 children aged 2-4years and one boy who was 9 years old. The 9years old was the worst, he took my pump and took it as a gun... some of the small children where afraid of me because I was face painted as a clown (that's what the parents asked me to do) and they wanted the inflated balloons and of course didn't want to wait for figures. Most of the parents sat around, nobody helped me but they filmed the mess ...
Finally when I came back to my car I had got a parking ticket ...
My advice for someone just starting: Don`t try to be a clown, if you don't feel to be one,
Only accept jobs and conditions you feel comfortable with!
Try to find out your own power – why did you start to twist? ...because you like to entertain? ... because of the creative aspect? Do you prefer to be funny or elegant? And trust your own feelings!
Create your own performing personality – must not be spectacular but you should feel comfortable whenever you wear your performing-clothes.
Try to perform! If a magician shows a legerdemain it's entertainment. Because a twister produces something we sometimes only focus to the result and forget that the twisting process could/should be entertainment too.
Therefore only twist figures you really know well if performing in front of your public
Sabina
What is your favourite model to make and why ? Professor T Wist
My favorite model is always one I recently came up with or have in mind to figure out, as I love the challenge and the creative process of thinking of new sculptures. My "problem" is, I don't like to rebuild a complex figure I once made - so my figures always have to change.
Sabina
What is your thought process in coming up with a new design, are you lucky enough to visualise the Image in your mind that you are trying to create and you can translate that straight away into the sculpture or is it more of a trial & error process where you work your way through until your happy with the result.
Or is it something completely different.....
Graham Lee
If I have to do a special design, logo, animal, ... I try to find some pictures (not balloon pictures!) in the net to get an idea what it should look like (e.g. when I was looking for a nice Easter bunny I realized, that many bunnies are illustrated with overalls – so I tried to figure out how to twist one) and sometimes I have a very clear imagination how to realize it with balloons – but mostly I need some trials to be happy with the result ;o)
Other figures result from an "error", as I actually wanted to do something different. That's how I came up with a "howling wolf" (http://twistart.balloonhq.com/ (http://twistart.balloonhq.com/)), when I actually tried to figure out a head design for a kangaroo ... but don't tell anybody ;o)
Sabina
Do u teach for free...? I'm in Singapore... can't afford air tix to go to ur jam... PrinCeSs
I am so sorry, but I can't afford the ticket to Singapore neither: o(
Sabina
How did you start off twisting? Do you prefer to make big show piece models or smaller detailed ones? bickers
During my scholastics I started to juggle and in consequence became aquainted with balloon modeling about 10 years ago. After attending my first BallonJam (1st Euro jam in Melle/Germany in 1998), balloons became an integral part of my life.
I have a preference for 160s as I can add many details. But now I start doing bigger stuff and I am looking forward to do some decoration-jobs with interesting themes in summer, when I will have to combine big twisted sculptures with regular decoration-stuff.
Sabina
Hi Sabina
How long have you been twisting? Do your children still get excited with your creations or does it get harder to impress? Are you coming to the Millennium Jam this year?
Hi Thelma- nice to meet you here :o)
It's really hard to impress my son with balloons – he is 11 years old and that's when it starts that parents can be very embarrassing!
But at least when he saw me teaching at the juggling-convention I guess he was a bit proud of his mom ;o)
Yes, I really want to come to Millennium Jam and hope to meet you there!!
Sabina
QuoteOne of the best moments was the unexpected winning of the first price at the millennium jam in Mol in 2004
Sabina,
I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed with your answer to "What's your best moment in twisting"
I thought it would have been meeting & working with me :D :lol:
Graham Lee
Wow, it is great that you are answering all our questions, I am always amazed at your sculptures
they are technically very advanced yet there is a simplicity to them that I find very appealing.
Always the proportions are perfect, so my question is did you go to art school, or do a similar
creative venture before you started with balloons?
Colin
Quote from: "Graham Lee"QuoteOne of the best moments was the unexpected winning of the first price at the millennium jam in Mol in 2004
Sabina,
I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed with your answer to "What's your best moment in twisting"
I thought it would have been meeting & working with me :D :lol:
Graham Lee
Graham, I must say it was really hard to decide which moment was more spectacular !!! ;)
Quote from: "colin myles"Wow, it is great that you are answering all our questions, I am always amazed at your sculptures
they are technically very advanced yet there is a simplicity to them that I find very appealing.
Always the proportions are perfect, so my question is did you go to art school, or do a similar
creative venture before you started with balloons?
Colin
Hi Colin,
thanks for your compliments. As you know I am a fan of your work too !! :)
No, I don`t have a creative or art education – I always liked to draft and paint, but after school I was not sure my creative skills would be adequate. Therefore I decided to study on the technical university but my threedimensional imagination, I trained there, also helps in twisting ...
Hope to meet you at Millenniumjam !?
Sabina
Sabina,
1, What is your favourite balloon job to do.
2, Where can you see yourself with balloons in a few years time.
3, If you were starting out again, is there anything that you would change.
Graham Lee
Quote from: "Graham Lee"Sabina,
1, What is your favourite balloon job to do.
2, Where can you see yourself with balloons in a few years time.
3, If you were starting out again, is there anything that you would change.
Graham Lee
1.As my sign is gemini (not that I really beliefe in it ;) ) I like the challenge and variety of jobs I can do with ballons:
- It`s fun to twist balloons for adults (at the beginning most of them are sceptic – but after I have started with an amazing figure it`s fun).
- Who doesn`t love to make children smile?!
- And finally the most creative jobs are twisting gifts and decorating.
2.May be in few years, when my son is old enough and doesn`t need my encouragement that much any longer, I will be able to stop working in the office and to live on my balloonbusiness.
3.I wouldn`t change anything! – It started as a hobby and grew slowly and still does !
Sabina has kindly sent over some more answers to your questions;
What do you most enjoy about twisting ?
The challenge of creating new figures.
The faces of my audience - when they ask me to twist something they guess really impossible – when I come up with it ;o)
What is the most asked for model?
Of course the dog! Even if I tell them, they can ask for whatever they want to, it seems, that some people really have problems to remember other animals ...)
What's the biggest thing you've ever made?
A dress for a model at a parfum-presentation of Chanel (If you don`t add roundballoon-decorations).
A few more answers from the questionaire;
How do you book yourself?
I am in an agency who books me for corporate events and I get smaller jobs by recommendation.
What kind of work do you do mostly - parties? Corporate? Etc
Mostly I do corporate events with adults.
What irritates you most at a gig?
1) There is a trend to "overload" events with different acts – even during a dinner there has to be an entertainment-act – and I don`t like the feeling of interrupting people while eating or talking.
2) Men who make rude jokes - but I learned to cope with it ;o)
Are you a full time balloonist or do you have another job?
First of all I am full-time-mother and after that I have a half-time-job in an office for urban-and regional-planning. My balloon-jobs fortunately allow me not to work full time in the office ;o)
And the last few questions;
What road in latex do you see yourself taking in the future, what are your balloon goals?
But more importantly what road would you like it to take you too?
Most of my jobs are really interesting and challenging. Therefore I just would like to increase the quantity.
And I hope to get more themed decoration-jobs.
What is your personal goal when you set off to work? Is it money or to entertain etc?
Definitely to amaze and entertain my audience!
After all these years of entertaining & twisting with balloons how do you keep the enthusiasm going &
What still excites you about our great world of latex ?
I still have more ideas in mind than I have time to realise, and it`s easy to keep the enthusiasm if sharing it with so many great and interesting people!
Sabina has sent over some pictures of her work, which i just love.
A couple more;
Last two;
Sabina,
Danke, dass sie sich die zeit genommen haben unsere Fragen bezüglich des Balloon Chats zu beantworten. Super,
dass sie dies in englisch gemacht haben, auch, wenn es nicht ihre Muttersprache ist.Danke!
Ich freue mich auf ihren Besuch in England im July,wenn ich ihnen mehr von London zeigen kann.
Bis dann
Graham Lee
(Just hoping this is correct & not saying anything naughty) :D :lol:
WoW!!! Graham your german is realy good i didnt know you could write german
I do my best, I'm just a man with many talents :D :lol: :lol:
Graham Lee
Quote from: "Graham Lee"I do my best, I'm just a man with many talents :D :lol: :lol:
Graham Lee
GREAT!! - So we can talk german, when we meet in july ?! :)
so when you paying for my flight to come over graham as you translator :D
lee
Translator :o I dont know what you mean ;)
OK I'd better come clean, I did email the text over to Rollie who ever so kindly translated it for me. Guessing he done a very good job as Sabina never commented on the wording.
Thanks Rollie.
Graham Lee