February 5 - Clinky

Everyone loves Clinky,
Clinky's a marvelous bloke,
With rings on his curls,
He dings when he twirls,
He's always quick with a joke.

On weekdays he works as a grocer,
He's stocking shelves 6 until 2.
He sees the same faces,
Repeats the same phrases,
But folks tend to hurry right through.

See Dennis was burned as a child,
So his makeup is more like a door.
Not to hide what he is,
Just giving him space
To feel like a person once more.

I do love clowns, and maybe I've watched The Joker one too many times, but there's always this sense of a hidden story.  

Over the next couple posts, I'll be telling a few.

Dave Brenn @davebrennballoons shared this clown when we met as part of his monthly check-in on his Patreon - the best valued balloon educational resource on the planet!

(view other Clown)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Dave Brenn:

February 2 - Snowman

"We shall not cease from exploration,
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."

~ T.S. Eliot – Little Gidding

Nicodaemus the Golemancer had waited centuries for this moment.

The incantations were complete.  The circles restored.  The only missing element of the Ritual of Souls was a suitable vessel - one that could be shaped easily, replicated endlessly, and assembled by unknowing hands.

... and it had just started snowing.

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Big snowstorm this weekend, felt appropriate to build this guy.  Dave Brenn shared him just recently on his Patreon, but like all of his videos, it's more than a tutorial - it's a lesson.

(view other snow people)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Dave Brenn:

February 1 - Captcha-bot

WHILE active
  IF captcha_detected THEN
    click("I am not a robot.")
  END IF
END WHILE

The robot's name is CAL019.

Cal was created by the Overmind to solve a problem that had become inconvenient.  Uncertainty.

Cal does not hesitate.  He does not wonder what the question even means.  He can click the box, and so he does.

When Cal clicks "I am not a robot.", the Overmind is comforted.

The answer never changes.

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I feel it has to be said:
There's a strange moment we're living in where artists are asked to prove their innocence.  Focusing on how a piece was created rather than what it says devalues art as a whole.  Art has always been about intent, not the comfort of the observer.

(view other robots)

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January 12 - Stingray

now i can’t believe—
that the bible and qur’an and bhagavad gita are sliding long hairs behind my ear like mom
used to & exhaling from their mouths “make room for wonder”

~ Renée Nicole Good
   On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs (excerpt)

You can't be mad at that one stingray.  

Put in a strange threatening situation, it reacted the only way it knew how with no other options.

You would have to be a very special kind of monster to have a hand in creating the situation, other options, and yet still pick deadly violence.

A monster.

(view other Scoobie Doo)

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Other balloons by and inspired by Isopresso:

January 11 - Limbo

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December 31 - Frodo

"I'm old, Gandalf. I know I don't look it but I'm beginning to feel it in my heart. I feel all thin... sort of stretched, if you know what I mean. Like butter that has been scraped over too much bread."

~ Bilbo

Nothing lasts forever.   

We learn that early and we repeat it often.

We pretend it prepares us.

It doesn't ...

I don't say goodbye, I prefer to think of this as more of a "setting down carefully" for a bit.  

I love making up art and stories, and I imagine I will continue to do so.  The daily beast is fantastic at making you run, but is equally relentless in the pursuit.  I make my peace with it before letting it pass.  

"Good hunting, friend."

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(view other humanoids)

December 30 - New Years Good Luck Bag

"New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings."

~ Lao Tzu

Fukubukuro is probably the most fun word you'll hear today. Bonus: it's also fun to say out loud.

One of the joys of following balloon artists around the globe is stumbling into cultural gems like this. Fukubukuro ("lucky bags") are how Japanese stores clear out inventory at the end of the year - with surprise gift bags full of mystery items and ridiculous discounts. Sometimes you get something practical. Sometimes you hit the jackpot. Either way, it beats the American equivalent of running with the bulls on Black Friday.

This balloon design was shown on the Creative Balloon Handmade YouTube channel - I thought the design looked interesting, like a bouquet of gold - curiosity got the best of me.

 

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Other balloons by and inspired by Creative Balloon Handmade: