Tulsa Man Creates Art With Balloons by:Matt Barnard World Staff Writer
Some master craftsmen work with wood
Some master craftsmen work with wood. Some work with stone. Dustin Reudelhuber works with balloons.
As a professional balloon artist, fire breather and all-around entertainer, Reudelhuber puts as much care and detail into his work as a carpenter or stonemason, and it pays off, he said.
After finishing high school and starting his entertainment business, Reudelhuber, a 27-year-old Tulsan, turned his part-time passion into a full-time job.
"I decided that I enjoyed working with people quite a bit more than just sitting in front of a computer," he said.
Balloon art, clown shows and fire breathing are in Reudelhuber's repertoire for birthday parties, corporate events and restaurants. His balloon creations range from 6-inch dogs to 6-foot archways.
Reudelhuber started Tulsa Balloons, his home-based company, eight years ago after studying architectural drafting at Booker T. Washington High School. Now, Reudelhuber has too many events to handle alone, he said. His wife Angela does balloons sculpting, bouquets and face painting as well.
His drafting experience comes in handy, Reudelhuber said. He can make almost anything by breaking an object down into simpler structures.
"It's similar to building blocks," Reudelhuber said.
"You decipher what you're making down into its basic shapes."
An average sculpture is made from about four to seven balloons -- that's almost 100,000 balloons every year, he said.
With so much practice, Reudelhuber can make basic designs one-handed and with his eyes closed.
"After awhile it becomes second nature," he said. "I've made anything and everything you can imagine at this point."
That talent draws a crowd when Reudelhuber attends corporate events, said Kelly Wilkerson, a spokeswoman for Tulsa Promenade.
During holiday events and special occasions, Reudelhuber's child-friendly, energetic entertainment brings a unique quality to events that people will remember, Wilkerson said.
"99.9 percent of the time he has a line a mile long waiting for his balloons," she said.
"He really stays up to date with what children like."
Mastering balloon art takes as much dedication as any other craft, Reudelhuber said.
Anyone can blow up a balloon, but it takes practice to create a work of art.
"There's quite a few people out there that can twist your basic dog or learn a bit and they think it can be just a real easy thing to do," he said,
"But it takes a bit of practice and dedication to raise it up to more of an art."
For more information or to schedule an event, call Dustin Reudelhuber at Tulsa Balloons, 918-955-3060, or visit www.TulsaBalloons.com.
About the author
I'm a police reporter for the Tulsa World. I joined the paper in early 2007 after graduating from Oklahoma State University's journalism and broadcasting program.
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