Conventions, children's birthday parties, street festivals, and political rallies are some of the places where balloon twisters can be found. The new Unpoppables TV show on TLC follows a group of balloon twisters known as New Balloon Art. The weekly half-hour show goes to a wedding where the wedding dress is made of balloons, a fashion show with a French fashion theme, and a firefighters' convention. There are even conventions held just for balloon twisting.
Balloon Twisting as Both Performance and Visual Art
Large balloon sculptures are usually made behind the scenes and used for visual impact in large spaces. Smaller balloon creations are often made as entertainment. Some balloon twisters combine improvisational performance with twisting for double the fun. The ability to transform something as everyday as balloons into recognizable shapes is fascinating to adults as well as children. Fine modeling isn't required to define a shape that's recognizable. A simple marker can add identifying marks and details to complete balloon creations.
In addition to popular balloon animals, hats, flowers and swords are some of the possibilities for twisting. Twisting is accomplished by the use of basic twists and lock twists. They are easy to learn and can be found demonstrated online.
Balloon Supplies for Twisting
Balloons are specifically made for twisting. They are higher-quality latex than regular balloons. Two brands that are recognized by balloon twisters as reliable are Qualitex and Bettalic. They can be purchased online if not in a local party store. Twisting balloons are identified by a three-digit number. The first digit is the width of the inflated balloon, and the last two digits indicate the length. A 160 balloon is 1" wide by 60" long. The most commonly used size is 260. Other sizes and specialty shapes are available but not necessary to create twisted animals.
A tool to inflate the balloons eliminates problems with dizziness and sanitation that is associated with blowing the balloons by mouth. Blowing balloons by mouth before handing them to a child or exhaustion from blowing 60" long balloons can spoil the fun. Hand or pocket pumps are inexpensive and easy to carry and require no electricity.
Novice twisters can entertain children and add excitement to parties. Professional balloon twisters are also available in many areas. Twisters serious about creating more intricate balloon sculptures can find help and inspiration online or, for the ultimate twisting experience, at balloon conventions. It's seriously good fun.
Corinne Shibley - Corinne Shibley studied sculpture in art history and created her own sculpture on the way to a B.A. in Studio Art. "There's something ...
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