Balloons are his passion, his preferred medium for bringing magic and wonder to kids, intrigue and amusement to families.
Meet Jeremy Telford, longtime Auburnite, as much artist as entertainer.
“I’m artistic and a ham, and those two things together make for a really good (act),” he said with a laugh. “I have a lot of fun with it. I am very blessed to be doing this.”
He is known as “The Balloon Guy” in the Utah Valley. To family, friends and customers, he often is described as “Jeremy The Clown.”
He is a master at manipulating balloons into funny shapes and sizes in front of crowds and for a wide clientele. The professional balloon twister creates air-filled masterpieces – usually of personalities and creatures, however great or small.
How about livening up a party with a 6-foot-tall Elvis, or a stocky Super Mario, or the power of a Ninja Turtle foursome?
Telford brings many characters to life – from Pixar Studio stars Buzz Lightyear and Lightning McQueen to something more bold, like a life-size T-Rex that required 2,300 light brown balloons and a week’s worth of intensive labor. The massive dinosaur – a skeletal beast – stood tall as an innovative display to help celebrate a dinosaur birthday bash at the Museum of Natural History in Lehi, Utah.
Big Balloonasaurus Rex loomed impressively for the entire week on the strength of Hyfloat-filled balloons. The tired tailbones then began to droop at two weeks.
“She turned out well … we built it bone by bone,” Telford said of his most ambitious work.
“If it’s big enough, I can do anything, as long as it’s family-friendly,” said Telford, 32, a 1996 Auburn High School graduate who lives with his wife and two kids in Pleasant Grove, Utah. He has been running his own business, Balloon Guy Entertainment, since 2003 and has performed at hundreds of events and parties. Ultimately, he hopes to relocate his operation to the Auburn area to be closer to family.
“Even with the balloons, so often I get to do something new and meet so many different people,” said Telford, a graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in recreation management and youth leadership. “Every new event, every new build has so much uniqueness to it. It never gets boring.”
But the work can be consuming, with its emphasis on tender-loving dexterity.
“Well, they’re temperamental,” Telford said of his brushstrokes with balloons. “It’s interesting just trying to get different shapes out of them.”
Telford returned to Auburn to visit family last week but was quickly put to work. He was busy constructing the Grim Reaper, replete with a party hat and a sign that read, “I’m just here for the cake.”
The figure, which required nearly 400 balloons, was headed for a 50th birthday party in Lynnwood. Telford shipped it in two parts.
Telford’s shop has grown in acceptance and clientele. They have fast become the life of a birthday party, family reunion, wedding, business gathering or parade.
The possibilities are limitless.
He and his staff have created a sumo wrestler, an armadillo, an 8-foot-tall mushroom, even an “Alice in Wonderland” setting.
“I always thought it would be fun recreating the Oval Office,” Telford said of a possible future project. “And I would love to do a parade float made entirely of balloons.”
All told, Telford the artist can shape balloons into 300-plus formations or designs.
“The one thing about having your business is you have an excuse to learn all kinds of new things,” he said. “Some of it is more fun than others, but it’s a chance to learn so many things. It’s all interesting.”
His work has been accepted elsewhere. Orbit Gum, trying to build its South American market, sent Telford to Uruguay to build a life-size motorcycle for a TV commercial.
Telford’s award-winning work also has caught the attention of a publisher, culminating in a a recently released how-to book, a step-by-step guide on making small balloon-filled projects. He hopes to write a second book devoted to larger objects.
“Depending on the nature of the person, if they’re artistically inclined and especially if they’re excited about it, you can pick it up in a couple of weeks,” Telford said of the balloon-making skill. “Some pick it up quickly, others it takes longer.”
Telford promises to keep his air-filling, traveling balloon show going.
“I’ll keep doing it as long as I can support my family,” he said. “It’s definitely my passion.”
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Jeremy Telford’s how-to book, “Balloonology: 32 Fun Projects to Take You from Beginner to Expert” (Gibbs Smith Publishing, $14.99) is available online at various book sales sites, including Borders, and Barnes & Noble.
For more on his business, please visit www.balloonguyentertainment.com.
