Gerry Giovinco - The Big Book of Balloon Art: More Than 100 Fun Sculptures

Copyright

Copyright 1996, 2019 by Gerry Giovinco

Captain Visual and 1994 by Gerry Giovinco

Hoopla the Clown and 1994 by Shari Giovinco

All rights reserved.

Bibliographical Note

This Dover edition, first published in 2019, is an updated republication of the work originally published by Citadel Press, an imprint of Carol Publishing Group, New York, in 1996 under the title Captain Visuals Big Book of Balloon Art!

Readers are encouraged to remain alert and exercise caution when handling balloons, which may present a choking hazard. Children should not blow up balloons or use pumps without adult guidance and supervision.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Captain Visual, author.

Title: The big book of balloon art : more than 100 fun sculptures / Gerry Giovinco (aka Captain Visual).

Description: Mineola, New York : Dover Publications, Inc., 2019. | Previously published: Captain Visuals big book of balloon art. Citadel Press, 1996.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019010889 | ISBN 9780486834924 | ISBN 0486834921

Subjects: LCSH: Balloon sculpture.

Classification: LCC TT926 .C37 2019 | DDC 745.594dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019010889

Manufactured in the United States by LSC Communications

83492101

www.doverpublications.com

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2019

Dedication

To my wife, Shari, who is my partner in life and in clowning. She helps to keep my dreams afloat by keeping my feet on the ground.

To my daughter, Jenna, who is more beautiful and bubbly, yet more determined and durable, than any balloon could ever be.

To my son, Michael, who has learned that the true power of clowns is the stories they inspire in the imagination of everyone they touch.

Love and laughter for a lifetime!

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

Balloons are amazing! They are just simple things, rubber bags filled with gas, but they can do so much! People have used balloons to do everything from flying to heart surgery, but the most magical thing that balloons are used for is creating smiles.

We all find beauty and joy in the simplicity of a brightly colored balloon, bobbing along, lighter than air, imitating one of natures bubbles. Maybe our excitement is in the realization that we can actually grasp something so bubbly without it vanishing at our touch, or that a balloon seems to have a life of its own when it gently pulls on its fine leash of string, always threatening to break free and travel to some far-off place. Whatever the reason, everyone seems to be enchanted by balloons!

Not all balloons are made for floating, of course. Some are made for hanging, some for bopping, some for tossing water, and some for twisting. These may all seem like tough ways to treat something as fragile as a balloon; after all, it doesnt take much to break one. The truth is, however, that balloons are pretty tough cookies. Balloons are made of a type of rubber called latex that has very durable qualities. Weve all had a steak that tasted like rubber, and we know how tough that was! In fact, it is not until a balloon is fully inflated, and the rubber is stretched to its peak, that a balloon becomes so fragile that it must be handled carefully or it will burst.

Try inflating any balloon just halfway and tying a knot in it. You will find that you can pinch it, twist it, bend it, and squish it without the balloon breaking. The balloon will begin to feel like putty in your hands. It is no wonder that somebody thought to sculpt animals out of balloons!

Making sculptures out of balloons does require a little bit of skill and creativity, but it is very simple and fun to learn. Now is your chance to become a balloon artist!

Making animals and other designs out of balloons is a lot like watching clouds form shapes as they float across the sky. The bubbles in a balloon design, like the formations in a cloud, help to create the impression of an image that almost anyone can see. Children and adults always seem amazed when they recognize a familiar animal or shape in a balloon design.

More amazing than the design itself is actually watching a design being made. Most people will wonder why the balloon does not burst, or how the balloon artist can twist a balloon so fast. Many believe that there is a trick involved, a special balloon used, or maybe even magic! Because of this, until recently, balloon sculpting has been a craft popularized mostly by clowns and magicians.

I began twisting balloons to add to my repertoire of clown skills, never realizing the creative potential of balloons or the impact they would have on my clowning career. Having learned the most basic designs, I took my new skill to the city where, as a street performer, I would entertain by making balloons in exchange for tips. It was there that I discovered that balloons were not only a great creative outlet but also a financially rewarding craft. What followed was a long career of including balloon art in my performances; my creation of several how-to pamphlets, books, and videos on the subject; and informational hands-on lectures that span the globe, teaching balloon sculpting to groups at conventions and online.

Making balloon animals may not be for everyone, but anyone can do it. Designing with balloons is as simple as building with connecting blocks. In this book, I will show you how easy it is to do. You will learn some designs that, with practice, will make you not a novice but a respectable balloon artist, and you will have the tools to create your own fantastic designs.

Balloons are no longer just for clowns and magicians. Balloon sculpting has become a respectable art form that has made its way into pop culture. Balloon artists now gather regularly to celebrate their talents, accomplishments, innovations, and community at local jams and conventions held around the world. They share their works and experiences personally and in groups online, on all platforms of social media.

More and more people enjoy balloons at home, as a hobby, using them to entertain friends and family, or profiting from them as decorations, novelties, and other creative outlets.

No matter what your level of interest or skill may be, I am sure you will enjoy playing with the wide variety of designs in this book and recognize the infinite possibilities of creating with balloons!

Keep twistin!

Gerry Giovinco

aka Captain Visual

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My career as a clown would have faded away years ago if it were not for the dedication, inspiration, and support of my wife and partner, Shari. Her clown, Hoopla, whose image and spirit grace the pages of this book, brings as much balance to Captain Visual onstage as Shari brings to me in life. This book about balloons would not be complete without her, because she taught me the greatest lesson in appreciation the day she first picked up a balloon and began twisting designs that she had learned just by watching me work. Although at that point she had never before clowned or twisted a balloon, she valued what I did enough to absorb it so completely that she could duplicate it with little hesitation. I realize that learning from and appreciating each other has been the source of our growth as a couple and as entertainers.

This type of sharing has propelled the growth of balloon art. Every balloon artist owes what they know to the artists that have gone before them and shared their knowledge. Countless balloon artists, most of whom I will never know, have contributed to my knowledge through a vast network of sharing that expands every day. A productive portion of this accumulated knowledge is presented in this book and will provide a viable foundation for your continued success as a balloon artist.