Native takes balloon artistry skills to U.K. Build
Submitted photo<br> This panoramic photo shows how enormous the Big Balloon Build is.
Submitted photo<br> Toy soldiers, constructed out of balloons, manned their posts.
Submitted photo<br> Of course, there had to be Santa Claus and his reindeer.
Submitted photo<br> Paddington Bear was another popular figure at the build.
Submitted photo<br> This panoramic photo shows how enormous the Big Balloon Build is.
Submitted photo<br> Toy soldiers, constructed out of balloons, manned their posts.
Submitted photo<br> Of course, there had to be Santa Claus and his reindeer.
Submitted photo<br> Paddington Bear was another popular figure at the build.
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MIFFLINTOWN -- Imagine the sights of London -- with the likes of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace - decorated for the holidays with life-size reindeer flying Santa Claus above the city then through a gnome village before heading back to the elves' workshop at the North Pole.
Oh, by the way, everything is made out of balloons.
Jody Potter, who works in Mifflintown as a dental hygienist, moonlights as a balloon artist and made the trip across the pond to take part in the "Christmas in London" Big Balloon Build.
"When you walk into a room and see a Christmas tree that's 15-feet high and it's made from all balloons, it's amazing," the 56-year-old Potter said of the United Kingdom Build. "All the time and work that goes into it. You're amazed that someone can do this in four and a half days."
That someone was Potter and about 80 other artists from around the globe who spent Dec. 10-14 in Guildford, Surrey, about an hour from London by train.
Last December, she traveled from her Millerstown home to join about 70 other artists from around the world at a Big Balloon Build in Kansas City, Mo.
The Big Balloon Build brings together balloon artists and charitable causes which promote the health and wellness of children, whether they are underprivileged or have a disability, to create larger-than-life experiences called Balloon Worlds.
Working alongside charities, communities, businesses and local leaders, the artists' goal is to inspire, empower and support positive change, Potter said.
Potter said the number of supplies used at the Build were astounding to fill the 13,000-square-foot space at the Charterhouse School with the larger-than-life, holiday-themed exhibit out of 125,000-plus biodegradable balloons in just four days.
Charterhouse is an English boarding school, founded in 1611 on the site of an old Carthusian monastery. It ranks among the most expensive schools in the U.K.
The event was held in the school's recreational halls, while the balloon artists roomed in its dormitories.
The 80 balloon artists were broken into teams. Potter was part of the five-member team, "London Luminaries," which was responsible for building the shops of London. The other members of Potter's team were women from Ohio, Oregon, Texas and the United Kingdom.
In addition to using six-figures of balloons, the artists needed 50 pounds of rubber bands, 250 feet of aluminum rod and pipe for the supporting structures and 250 steel bases.
"Once we finished the build, we handed it over to the city," Potter explained. "Three mayors attended, along with (Big Balloon Build founder) Stuart Davis. He talked about how our goal is to promote teamwork for the good of children."
Five children's charities benefited from the event and children got to tour the display once it was finished.
"The bigger characters were donated to local businesses to stay on display throughout December," she added. The rest of the balloon exhibit was taken down during the popping party; the materials were recycled.
Although Potter did manage to squeeze in some sightseeing before and after the Build, this was hardly a vacation.
"We do pay an application fee and pay for boarding and transportation costs," Potter said. "We also volunteer time as it's for charity.
"When I got there it was overwhelming," she added. "People were inflating balloons as fast as they could. When your back's aching and your hands are hurting, you wonder why you do this. The truth is because of the children. You're making a difference in a child's life."
Despite the Build being for charity, balloon artists are held to strict guidelines as balloons must be inflated to a certain size and shape. Hundreds of balloons also get popped during the construction phase. That means replacements must be blown up. "If it's not sized right, you have to pick up a new one and start again," she said.
Potter has been working as a balloon artist since May 2019 when she decided to open her own balloon business. She attended a week-long school in Tennessee where she learned the ins and outs of the business.
She still has her sights on bringing an event to central Pennsylvania someday. Recently, Potter learned that the Big Balloon Build will be coming to the Keystone State, for its Christmas 2024 "It's a Wonderful Life Festival" and parade in Indiana, Pa., from Nov. 21-24, 2024.
Needless to say, Potter submitted her application on Friday and is hoping to be selected as a building. Organizers have stated that only 25 repeat builders will be selected. "I'm sitting on the edge of my seat to see if I get accepted," said Potter, with her fingers crossed.
Potter runs her own business, Balloons by J in Millerstown, which offers artistic balloon designs and installations. For more information, visit www.balloonsbyj.com or find her on Facebook or Instagram. You can also follow the Big Balloon Build project on social media.