More about bubbles, bubble sculpture and clowns

If you wet a flat surface like the kitchen counter or ledge in the bathtub and then blow bubbles onto it, they will sit there and not break. 

In the kids section of the library (a good place to start when browsing for information) I came across Experiments with Bubbles by Robert Gardner that explores the whys and wherefores of bubble behaviour.   Richard Flaverty's  and Tom Noddy's books were more playful.

Allof the books alert you to the wonderful fact that if you wet a straw with bubble solution and stick it into an existing bubble – the bubble does not break!
And if you blow into the straw – the bubble gets bigger…………

……….and bigger

If you dip the straw in bubble solution and 'load' it and then stick it into the bubble structure and blow – you can blow bubbles inside of bubbles inside of bubbles….   A bubble sculpture.  Fleeting.  Beautiful. 

My 'sister' in Toronto reminded me that wonderful bubbles can be blown using wet hands and a bar of soap and fingers in a circle for the wand.  Thanks, Olga!

What expanded upon a lifelong interest in bubbles and turned it into a fascination was, many years ago, taking a clowning workshop at the Y here in town.  It did, indeed, release the inner clown that all of us are said to have, and led to taking a bubble workshop.  A clown is allowed -heck, encouraged! – to check out all the nifty things of play, like bubbles.  And juggling.  And make-up and costumes.  And balloon modeling (more about that tomorrow).

You discover things about yourself when you discover your clown character.  I would have thought the wig and face-paint and zany clothes offered a disguise.  It is quite the opposite. 

If you have any attraction toward clowning – look into it.  The workshop was the key for me.

I am not actively clowning at the moment (at least not in costume), and were I to do so again I would assume a different personality.  But the experience enhanced my life.