Air Heads. Animal Balloons with Stick-On Features by designer Hector Serrano.

You may recall the fabulous Animal and Monster Hands by Hector Serrano for NPW created last year. Now, he's come up with another wonderful creative idea for children (or adults who like to play).



Serrano has designed Air Heads - six animal balloon heads (Bird, Bear, Koala, Tiger, Rhino and Pig) complete with paper sculpture features one can fold and stick onto the colored balloons.








The paper flap system means no need for glue.



Each animal consists of a balloon on a wand, plus pre-cut colour features which are attached with sticky pads. Also included are colour stickers for eyes and features.


Pack size 293 x 215mm, everything you need to create six charming animal heads.

Available for purchase here soon

Airigami: The Fine Art of Balloon Sculpture by Larry Moss.

above: James Abbot McNeil's Whistler's Mother recreated in balloons by Larry Moss.

Balloon sculptor Larry Moss has many installations, fashions, and designs crafted of colored latex balloons to his credit.


above: The balloon Spinosaurus, designed and created by Mark Verge, a talented member of Larry Moss' team

Amongst his many unusual balloon sculptures, which he has termed Airigami*, is a series of famous pieces of fine art recreated with latex balloons.

Boticelli's Birth Of Venus, recreated in balloons by Larry Moss:

Birth of Venus in balloons (details):


Grant Wood's American Gothic recreated in balloons by Larry Moss:

Cezanne still life, recreated in balloons by Larry Moss:

Leonardo DaVinci's Mona Lisa recreated in balloons by Larry Moss:

Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup Can recreated in balloons by Larry Moss:

Jackson Pollock painting recreated in balloons by Larry Moss:

MC Escher's Self Portrait in Reflecting Sphere recreated in ballons by Larry Moss:

Leonardo DaVinci's Vitruvian Man recreated in balloons by Larry Moss:


A video which shows some of the original paintings morphing into Larry's balloon versions:


You can purchase these images and more as cards, posters, t-shirts, limited edition prints and more here at the Airigami gift shop.

*Airi•gam•i (\’er-?-’gä-m?\ n : the fine art of folding air) stands at the crossroads of three ancient art forms: sculpture, puppetry and origami.

About Larry Moss:


Larry Moss began his career 25 years ago as a NYC street performer, but has gone on to display his amazing air-filled art in 12 countries on four continents. His achievements have been recognized by The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, CNN Headline, PBS, Smithsonian Magazine, American Profile and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Moss has appeared on The Martha Stewart Show, NBC’s “Today” and at the White House, and has held the Guinness World Record for the largest non-round balloon sculpture since 2000. The author of many published ballooning books, Larry also has a degree in applied math and computer science, as well as a master’s in elementary education. Building community through his large-scale art creations is of particular interest to Larry, and was the focus of his 2009 TEDx talk in Rochester, NY.

Kelly Cheatle, Designer and New Media Marketing Director for Airigami:



Kelly Cheatle loves creating in any medium. She received her design degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a minor in Illustration, and a major interest in every studio elective she could find. She utilizes her diverse knowledge of traditional materials and image-making techniques daily in her work as a graphic designer/illustrator. She became Larry’s design partner upon informing him that she was going to help whether he wanted her to or not. While Kelly initially focused on non-balloon aspects of Airigami projects, the opportunity to work in a new medium was simply too much for her to resist.

Eternal Helium Balloons By Clémentine Henrion Immortalize Childhood.

As a child, ever wanted your helium balloon to last forever? Never to be accidentally whisked away by the wind or to deflate sadly over time?

Well, 30 year old Paris-based stylist, illustrator and set designer Clémentine Henrion did and that's why she designed the Eternal Helium Balloon, a sculpture that looks just like a helium balloon, but will last forever.



As Clémentine describes them:

"Helium Eternal balloons are proposed as interior design furniture, but also as set design collections for photo shootings, stores windows, showrooms, etc. 
This “illusion” of an helium balloon is entirely made of precious or fancy fabric.

The balloon is stuffed with kapok, like a soft pillow. 
A tiny flap fixed at the top of the balloon helps hanging it to your interior’s ceiling, hook it to a curtain rod, the top of a wall etc.


The key thing is to hang it up as high as possible, in order to recreate the magic illusion of a real flying helium balloon!
The most beautiful effect is obtained in setting a bunch of several balloons together, forming a “balloons bouquet”.


All these pieces are delicately handmade in my own workshop in Paris, in limited edition. Special custom shapes can also be created on request."

Shark:

Icebergs:

Candy:

Cloud:

Rainbow:

Hearts:



If you want a special request, you can contact her here

Otherwise, you can find these charming Eternal Helium Balloons at the following places:
•Her Etsy store
•CITE nyc (New York)
•Lilooka (France)
•Madame LaMarchande (France)
•Mercredi (Belgium)
•Third Drawer Down (Australia)
•KolKid (Canada)

A Photographer Who Is Full Of Hot Air: Paul Graves' Balloon Sculpture Series

above: Paul Graves, phenomenon 3, from The balloon sculpture series, 2008


This month Italian magazine Domus' cover features photographer Paul Graves' photo of a balloon constructed person and his innards. Below are more shots from his 2008 Balloon Sculpture Series.




The image as it appears on Domus' January cover:


A photographer who has worked with balloons before, Paul has created a balloon Garden of Eden for a previous editorial:



See the fabulous details:







Prior to that, he created this fun series of celebrities as balloons, using simply their trademark hair (or lack thereof) to immediately give the balloon the recognizable persona.

Don King:

Andy Warhol:

Pippi Longstocking:

Kojak (Telly Savalas):

Liza Minelli:

David Bowie:


Paul shoots many styles a has a large range to see his complete portfolio click here.

In light of balloon 'fun', and the off chance that you are one of the 3 people left in the world who has not seen the fabulous durex condom ad with balloon animals, here it is for you:





Catch a newer post on the Balloon sculptures of photographer Paul Graves, that include his balloon expletives here.