Hi Don,

I have some more questions for you that cannot wait until June.

Can you tell us about the Jeff McBride/balloons and magic classes? Will they be going ahead again?

When will you be writing some articles for BHQ (or even here!!)? - I found them very inspiring.

thanks,
Danny

HI Don,Great to see you on Balloonchat, the interview has been very intresting so far.
I would like to ask one question if I may.
Do you consider yourself to be only a twister, or do you ever do any decor work ????
such as centrpieces for large scale events. ??????????
If you do such work I am sure everyone would LOVE to see the pictures
I look forward to seeing you in May
Colin

Well if Don does do decorating then perhaps we could put another workshop day in the schedule

NO, NO, NO, NO! I would never stoop so low as to do DECOR! (unless I was at Millennium Jam and a certain gorgeous blue eyed blond with a sexy english accent asked in that cooing way of hers that she knows I can't resist, and again at BACI... then I might come around). But you can't prove it!

By the way, how much would it cost to suppress such photos, if they did theoretically exist?

The truth is I personally find decor dreadfully boring to do. Just like traditional line work, all of that repetition drives me bonkers. Even weaving makes me a bit twitchy after a while.

Hi Don

Love your work and can't wait to meet you and take your class in May (have all the DVD's so far).

My question is .............. have you ever wanted to make something out of balloons but have not been able to get it right ...... your Achilles heel ???

Sharon a.k.a LollyPop

I will be lecturing in Holland on June 1st, but don't have any other details yet. I will keep you all posted once I know more about the venue and all.

Dennis & Ingrid are organising the workshop in Amsterdam, you could Pm him from the forum or his website is;
http://www.juggling.nl/shop/

Not for the last 10 years or so. One of my early goals as a twister was to be able to make anything that anyone requested, and for a while I actually built my reputation on it. We would play "Stump The Balloon Guy" and I would offer a dollar to anyone who could. It broke up the monotony of line twisting, and it made me get really good really fast.

1) Michelangelo said that he did not tell the stone what to be, but that it told him what it wanted to be. The balloons do the same thing. I usually start with very clear idea of what I want, but rather than force the balloon, I look at what it does on its own along the way. If a technique does not turn out the way I expected I just improvise, and that becomes part of the sculptures personality. There are no mistakes, just opportunities. In fact the adorable little squirrel on Mad Hatz Vol. 5, started out as an idea for making bosoms for female sculptures.

2) Sometimes, but I have to be really inspired. I tend to get bored, and easily distracted twisting alone. That is why I find balloon jams so useful. It is always much more fun to play with others.

3) Yes I have. Tell Sydney and The Loganator that I said Hi!

The first rule of Balloon Master Class is that you do not talk about Balloon Master Class.
The second rule of Balloon Master Class is, You Do Not, Talk, About Balloon Master Class.

Actually, studying with Jeff really is a life altering experience. There are so many little things about performing that we don't think about or take for granted that Jeff is a Master of! I have never met anyone who knows how to control, and pump up an audience better, and during master class he holds nothing back. He and the other instructors are completely willing to share their lifetime of knowledge and experience.

The best part is the works in progress. Students have the chance to perform a piece, and then get constructive feed back on it from the instructors as well as the other students. And your piece, as well as the feedback, are recorded so you can study it later. You also learn an amazing amount by watching the other works in progress a listening to the instructors feedback on those.

We have done the Master Class for Balloon Twisters for four years in a row now, normally in January, but 2010 is still up in the air. Todd and I may take a year off to start new trouble somewhere else


As for the BHQ articles, I really miss writing them, but being married and reinventing myself (the transition from Don Caldwell to Buster Balloon) has taken most all of my free time the last few years. But there will be some new projects coming soon that will focus more on marketing, branding, and performance like the old columns did. Stay tuned.