Balloons By Mike

Mike offers face painting and/or balloons to the guests at parties and other events. Both activities are mainly for the children 3 and older. The amount of time required depends on the number of kids expected at the party and the activity selected. When doing face painting, Mike normally estimate that one hour is enough time to paint about 15 faces. Face painting does requires some additional time for setup/cleanup. When doing balloons, Mike normally estimates that one hour is enough time to make balloons for a maximum of 25 kids. With fewer kids at the party, he can make bigger, fancier balloons. When doing both face painting and balloons, 90 minutes is enough time for about 15 kids.

Mike is able to come to the party as himself of a few other characters including: Sir Toony Van Dukes the clown, Pirate Mike, Super Mike, and Astronaut Mike. Given proper notice, he might be able to come up with a few other generic characters.

Mike Becvar is located in Northern Virginia and entertains children as Sir Toony Van Dukes the clown and Balloon By Mike. Mike started his career by learning how to be a clown when he attended Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp in 2008. He returned to Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp in 2009 and since then, he has attended many other clown conventions and continues to learn new skills, designs, and techniques on a regular basis. Today, he is an entertainer with many skills, but is most often seen at events making balloons and/or painting faces. He loves to make balloon creations including hats, animals, and other fun objects. He also does face painting from simple cheek/hand art to full face designs. He works at picnics, birthday parties, family reunions, restaurants, grand openings, or other community events in Northern Virginia where kids are gathered.

Mike has a regular restaurant gig where he paints faces and twists balloons for the kids who come to Moe's Southwest Grill on Kid's Night. He has been visiting Moe's every other Tuesday night since 2010 and is known and recognized by many of the families in his community.

Learning new skills and working with other entertainers is important. To keep his skills current, Mike hosts a monthly balloon and face painting jam for other entertainers in the area. He also attends two or three conventions each year where he can learn new skills and compete against other clowns, face painters, and balloon twisters to see how his skills compare with other entertainers.

Mike is active with the local clown community. He is currently the President of Just Clowning Around of Northern Virginia, a club for clowns young and old. As a group, they participate in several local parades and volunteer their time for selected charity organizations. He is also active with the Kapitol Klowns in Maryland.

Balloons and face painting are mainly for the children 3 and older. Balloons can pop and could become a choking hazard for children who put things in their mouth. For face painting, young children may not want to sit still with their eyes closed while an unfamiliar adult attempts to paint their face. It is best to wait until the child is old enough to want to have their face painted.

Both face painting and balloons require space to setup supplies. When working at an outdoor location, it is important to have a flat and level spot under a shelter or tent.