Becoming a Certified Balloon Artist (CBA) isn’t easy. It requires study, practice and preparation. Written tests, a practical exam and the ability to produce quality balloon work in a timed assessment under the keen eyes of official judges are all part of the process. “If you can pass that, you can do just about anything,” said Tim.
Steve and Tim participate in conventions, classes, conferences and competitions to learn new balloon techniques and improve their skills. They will both attend the 2012 World Balloon Convention March 21-25, in Dallas, Texas, which draws people from all over the world, and will compete in the Large Sculpture category, one of nine skill-testing contests at the event. Tim and Steve’s sculpture will be on display at the Festival of Balloons, a public event showcasing the work of balloon artists from the World Balloon Convention.
They recently won first place in the West Coast Event Small Non-round Sculptures competition in southern California with their “Fantasia”- themed sculpture. It is the piece of which they are most proud. “We prepped and practiced for months to get it right,” said Steve. “It took Tim three weeks just to figure out the Mickey hat, using graph paper to sketch out the design so we could weave it in.” Ultimately, three types of weaving techniques were used for the sculpture, and the brothers finished the piece with 10 minutes to spare in the timed competition. “My brother loves coming up with the concept, planning and digitizing. I like to actually build the sculpture,” Steve said. “It’s fun to embellish it and put in the final details, although that last competition was a close call!”
Special events are also the brothers’ forte. Steve enjoys meeting with clients at the event site, discussing themes and colors and really listening to ideas and input. “There is a lot of trust involved in what we do,” Steve shared. “We feel that every job, from simple arches to complex sculptures – deserves attention to detail and the best that we can create.”
Creative Distinctions office manager Rena Vesler has worked with Steve and Tim from the beginning.
“These guys give every job their all,” she said. “They never say, ‘We can’t do that.’ If they don’t know how to do something, they work and work until they figure it out. Steve and Tim have taken balloon art to a whole new level.”
Steve loves working in the balloon industry with his brother and hopes they can continue to grow their business with new techniques and materials that are constantly being developed.
“My brother and I love working with balloons,” Steve said. We have fun, we travel and we meet a lot of great people. Transforming a room for a special event and having the client and their guests see the finished project and say, ‘Wow!’ – THAT is the real payoff!”
To see examples of Steve and Tim’s work, visit the Creative Distinctions website at www.GreatEventz.com .
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