I have recently launched two new websites. Although the primary target audience of the websites is clowns, there will still be information that should be of interest to face painters, balloon twisters and other types of children’s entertainers.
The first website is Just for Clowns. Just For Clowns is a blog for the professional clown. The purpose of this blog is to promote, preserve and present the time-honored profession of clowning by providing professional clowns with information that will help them become the best clown they can be. It will have information about upcoming conventions, makeup and costume tips, product reviews, and other information related to clowing around.
The second website is Websites for Clowns. I plan to use Websites for Clowns to present topics related to the business side of being a clown including websites, business cards, and marketing. I launched my own personal website in 2004 and since then have created and maintained several other websites for myself and others. I have also spent countless hours on the Internet and hope to be able to share some of what I have learned.
My very first clown convention was the Circus Magic Convention in Williamsburg, VA. Circus Magic is a regional clown convention that is held each year at the end of February and that means that it is coming up soon. This year, it is February 23-26, 2012 at the Holiday Inn Patriot in Williamsburg, VA. The convention is one of several conventions run by Steve “Salty” Kissell and DJ “Fancy Pants” Ehlert.
Although this is a clown convention, they have workshops on balloon twisting, face painting, magic, and other topics that would be of interest to clowns and other types of children’s entertainers. They have a great list of instructors coming to help with the workshops. Ken Stillman will be there teaching balloons. Marcella “Mama Clown” Murad and her co-workers from Silly Farm will be there to teach face painting. Jim Howle and Leon McBryde, both former Ringling Clowns, will also be there helping with makeup and clown noses.
Presented by Steve Kissell. Bringing Education Excellence to the Performing Arts! Come Celebrate, Laugh, and Learn at Circus Magic with the special theme of: Tribute to the Wizard of OZ!
I like watching the videos that parents take when their kids have their faces painted. I think it shows more of how the artists work in the real world compared with the tutorials that people create. It is always interesting to listen to the parents and other people making comments in the background.
Butterfly
Spiderman
Pink Cat
Butterfly – OK, this is a series of photos not a video, but one of the things I noticed was how the artist stands to the side to let the parents watch and take pictures without getting in the way. I know artists who like to have the kids face away from the crowds, but face painting should be as much for the spectators as it is for the child
Penguin Balloon from a Face Painting and Balloon Jam at Cici's Pizza
Happy 2012!
Each month, I host a face painting and balloon jam at the Cici’s Pizza in Chantilly. It is normally on the 2nd Monday of the month, and in January, our first Jam of the year will be on Monday, January 9th at 7:00pm.
You can come as early or late as you like. We are able to accept tips from the guests. The jam is open to face painters and balloon twisters of all skill levels. Bring your supplies. The jams are an opportunity to socialize with other face painters and balloon twisters, share ideas, and practice interacting with the customers at Cici’s.
Chantilly Face Painting and Balloon Jam Monday, January 9th, 2012
Eat 6:00 – 7:00
Jam from 7:00 – Close
CiCi’s Pizza Buffet
14392 Chantilly Crossing Lane
Chantilly, VA 20151
703-961-9100
If you can’t make this jam, there are several other jams in the area. Princess Jennifer hosts a jam at the Cici’s Pizza in Falls Church on the 1st Monday of each month. Ivonne and Leandra host a jam at the Fuddruckers
in Annandale on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. You can find these jams and others on Facebook.
Balloons By Mike holding a Christmas Tree Balloon at a balloon jam
Merry Christmas from Mike Becvar aka Balloons By Mike and Sir Toony Van Dukes the host and moderator of the Face Painting and Balloon Twisting Blog.
It is hard to believe that we are almost at the end of 2011. This has been a good year for me. I am very thankful for my friends who have helped me along the way. I host a monthly face painting and balloon twisting jam which has proven to be a great way to both get time to practice and share ideas with others.
I am making a new years resolution to put more time into writing content for this blog. Hopefully, you will enjoy the posts to come in the new year.
It is a fact I quickly learned when doing balloons outside in the summer. A balloon left in the sun will eventually pop. While there are probably multiple things that lead the balloon to pop, I think a big issue is the increase in volume of the air trapped inside the balloon as it heats up in the sunlight. Eventually, it will expand enough to pop the balloon.
You don’t need to have a complete understanding of Thermodynamics to understand that there is a relationship between temperature, pressure, and volume of a gas. When you trap a fixed amount of air inside a container then heat the air one of two things will happen. If the container is solid, like a glass jar, the pressure inside the container will increase. If the container is able to expand like a balloon, the volume of the air will increase. The opposite is also true. If you cool the air, the pressure will decrease or the volume will decrease.
Last winter, I made myself a balloon hat while working at a local restaurant. When I left, I decided to walk to a store on the opposite side of the parking lot before heading home. It was a cold night and before I made it to the store, I noticed my hat was becoming limp and suspected that one of the balloons had popped. I took the balloon hat off and noticed it was much smaller, but within a minute of walking into the warm store, the balloon hat returned to its former size. What had happened? I had made the balloon inside a warm building and then took it outside where the temperature was freezing cold. The air inside the balloons cooled off and caused the volume of air to decrease making the balloons shrink. Once I returned to a warmer location, the air inside the balloons was able to expand and inflate the balloons to their normal volume.
While it is an interesting effect, it is important to realize the impact that temperature will have on balloons. When doing balloons outside on a cool day, it is important to realize that if the kids take the balloons inside a warmer building that the air inside the balloons will expand and increase the chance of the balloon popping. If making balloons inside when it is cold outside, it is equally important to realize that the balloon will deflate a bit when the kids go outside.
Looking for a balloon twister for your events? Check out Balloons By Mike, he enjoys making balloons and entertaining kids of all ages in Northern Virginia.
http://www.BalloonsByMike.com/
