June 30, 2012

balloon artist

My talk to Donna Pruett, Balloon Artist. She performed for kids in the library last week.

 

How did you start doing this?
I saw it, I like it, I start playing with it. Once you figured out several twists, you can do almost anything. If you interested in ballooning, it comes easily to you.


Where do you buy your balloons?
I order them off the Internet from LaRocks Fun and Magic, they are in Charlotte area in NC. They have catalog online.

Are you from here?
No, I'm Australian. 



I hear a bit of accent.
I hears yours too. I saw your license plate, I like it.


What do you tell people when they ask you "Where are you from?"
I tell them "I'm from my mother, and where are you from?" (laughing)


I'm a full time balloon artist. I do it for 30 years, full time. I work for myself, I have no employees. I can do any kind of event that has a need for balloons. frizzbb@yahoo.com.


This is my 15th years working with North Carolina libraries. I have 60 Summer Reading Shows this summer, for two month - June and July. I'm on the road a lot. I live near Boone. I'm thinking about moving toward Winston. But I don't know if I want to leave the mountains... I really love what I do, and I do it for 30 years.


What's the best part of it?
Kids, and laughing, and playing! And the worst part is driving (laughing). I get to go to competitions. National and international, when two thousand of us get together and show off new sculptures and then we vote. Last time I went - it was in Boston.  I did National in St. Lois, then in California. I'm trying to bring it to Charlotte or Raleigh. 


There are a lot of people from all parts of the world participating in this competitions, and it's a lot of fun, we get really crazy!