Keith Evans...
Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH)
February 19, 1995
"Bubbles like certain people more than others," says Lakewood bubbleologist Keith Evans. "When I pull a bubble up over someone's head, the bubble will split off the wand and seal itself with the person inside. But they last longer with certain people."
Ask Evans why that occurs, and he'll tell you he is not sure, "but maybe two-thirds of the time they last longer over redheads. Maybe it has something to do with the keratin."
Just when you think Evans is pulling your leg, he will launch into other theories, including the one that says bubbles like people who sweat profusely.
"Humidity is perfect for bubbles; maybe sweating helps bubbles last longer," he says. "One of these days I'll have to keep track of things like the temperature of the air and the people, air pressure and humidity, and see what I can find out. I used to arrive about 20 minutes before a show to check out a room's humidity, but that didn't really work. Once you get 100 people in a room breathing, the humidity changes."
Evans mainly takes his bubble show on the road to schools, libraries and even the boardrooms of corporate America, because "bubbles are just intriguing."
"Kids are fascinated by the way light hits the bubbles and how they bounce all over," says Evans, who makes little bubbles, multiple bubbles, bubbles inside of bubbles, cubic-like bubbles and giant bubbles using a Hula Hoop and children's wading pool to hold the soap solution. "Bubbles float freely, and they're fairly independent. As kids grow up, they want that independence, too, so they can empathize to a point. But I think it's really the bubbles' color and light flashes that they love best."
Evans became a professional bubbleologist about eight years ago. In his shows, he makes bubbles out of ordinary household objects such as straws, badminton rackets (minus their strings), orange juice cans and clothesline, so people can duplicate the equipment back home. He has about 15 recipes for bubble mixture, but his favorite is one gallon of distilled water, one cup of Joy or Dawn dish detergent and two tablespoons of glycerine.
A 25-year employee of American Greetings Corp., Evans is a senior editor for special projects who sometimes brings his bubbles to work. "I do seminars to help people remember to play. I think it's impossible to make bubbles and be stressed."
Post-Tribune (IN)
December 12, 1999
There was a very special Christmas party Saturday morning at the local VFW hall, thanks to the Porter County Cancer Society.
And bubbleologist Keith Evans had a perfect vantage point as he entertained at the 8th annual Cancer Society Christmas Party for cancer patients and their families.
"I love to look out on the audience and see everybody's eyes light up," he said after fascinating the packed hall with his bubble program. "I especially enjoy the kids enjoying things."
He wasn't alone. For the Cancer Society volunteers who organize the event and solicit donations from businesses and individuals to assure that each person, child and adult, goes away with a nice assortment of gifts, the annual party is a culmination of months of volunteer effort.
"We like to make sure everyone leaves here with something special," said Porter County Cancer Society President Ruth Jarnecke of Kouts as she watched Evans blow through a hollow plastic coffee stirrer to produce a gentle rain of tiny bubbles.
Nearby, Santa and his helper Patch watched, equally enthralled by Evans' efforts with a badminton racket and a frozen orange juice can. Giggles and laughter rang through the hall when Evans encased 3-year-old Jena Mitchell, 8-year-old Libby Fowler and 6-year-old Sally Fowler in giant bubbles.
The Porter County Cancer Society was organized in 1980, board member Dorothy Crampton of Chesterton recalled.
"I was on the very first board of directors," she said. "We began because we couldn't find anyone to help a cancer patient. Now I just sit back and think how wonderful this is."
According to Rebecca Magill, executive director, financial assistance is given on a monthly basis to Porter County residents who are stricken with cancer, but this December event is especially meaningful to her.
Post-Tribune (IN)
June 28, 2001
Tiny bubbles, big bubbles, chains of bubbles. More than 150 children, volunteers and adults came to the DeMotte Public Library for Keith Evans' lessons in bubble blowing.
By using rope, old tennis racquets, juice containers, trays and a few store-bought bubble making items, the bubbleologist also taught a little about meteorology, physics, mathematics and chemistry.
"Bubbles like to be round," Evans said. "That's the first thing you have to remember. The second is that all the colors of the rainbow can be found in one bubble. A bubble is a round, thin film of liquid enclosed in air. Bubbles like wetness, dampness. The best time to make bubbles is after it has rained."
According to science, water molecules on the surface of water tend to stick together. This is called surface tension. When soap is added, it reduces the surface tension of the water, allowing bubbles to form. Bubbles pop when the water evaporates out of the bubbles.
"Adding glycerin helps strengthens the bubble by preventing the water from evaporating. If you want to touch a bubble without bursting it, wet your hand," said Evans, who used ordinary household items to create bubbles nearly as big as people in his audience.
Evans became interested in bubbles in 1984, when he began teaching a clown course in Ohio and used bubbles for interactive training. When the Cleveland Children's Museum brought in a traveling bubble exhibit from Boston's Children's Museum, Evans and another bubble lover alternated weekend shows.
Ever since then, for more than 14 years, Evans has been giving bubble shows, exhibitions and workshops. He has been featured at libraries, schools, church functions, business parties and reunions. In mid-1998, Evans and his family moved to the Miller Beach area of Gary, where he now resides.
"Watch your bubbles. Look for size and color, and have fun. Always keep your eye out for something you think might make an interesting and fun bubble," Evans said. "Don't be afraid to experiment with different objects."
Matt Edgeman, a teen volunteer at the library, said he thought the program was great -- and it made his job easy that day because all the children were tuned into Evans' show.
Make your own bubbles
Those who attended Evans' program left with a recipe to try at home:
Bubbles
1 gallon water (distilled)
2/3 cup of Joy or Dawn dishwashing detergent
2 tablespoons clear glycerin
Let the mixture set for five days before using.
Education in bubbleology one of last programs for summer readers
Post-Tribune (IN)
August 29, 2001
Keith Evans of Gary explained the effects of gravity, humidity and temperature on bubbles to a room full of children.
"Bubbles like wetness in the air, they like humidity. The best time to make bubbles is right after it rains," said Evans, "When you make a bubble the gravity starts to work and makes a puddle at the bottom."
Evans, a self-proclaimed bubbleologist, has been studying bubbles for 17 years.
The fascination started when he was looking for an object his clown class could react to.
"I met with an art teacher in his kitchen and we did bubbles for three hours. We started to do bubble shows at the Cleveland Children's Museum on the weekends."
Bubbleology was held at the Griffith Branch Library for children ages 7 to 10. The program was one of the last of the summer reading program. According to children's librarian Mindy Kiegert, the summer visit was Evans' second.
"I think they enjoyed it thoroughly. I'm hearing positive things," said Kiegert.
Clad in rainbow suspenders, a paint-splattered white T-shirt, and a red sweatband, Evans evoked sheer awe from the children, who reached their hands toward the iridescent floating objects.
Katie Lesniewski, 10, of Griffith, enjoyed watching Evans' bubble trumpet, one of the many objects bubbles were made into.
"My favorite part was seeing the bubble trumpet with the mute," Lesniewski said, "I really like bubbles a lot and it was cool to see all those bubbles together."
Lesniewski plans to use the recipe Evans gave her to make her own bubble solution. She also wants to experiment with her own bubble-making instrument.
"I've got a lot of paper. I can see if I can make one if I roll up a piece of paper," Lesniewski said.
Evans had multiple bubble-makers of his own, both store-bought and homemade. Along with the normal bubble wand were an automatic bubble-maker, a bubble whistle, a bubble thing, a large wand with a star and moon design, an old badminton racquet and a simple piece of string.
There was helpful advice given about using household items, like straws, to make bubbles.
"If you are going to use a straw to make bubbles, you don't want to let the wet end get higher than the dry end because if you do, you'll get a mouth full of bubbles," instructed Evans as he dipped a straw into bubble solution.
Evans also did the impossible -- he invented a way to get children inside a bubble.
Along with four other children, Brian Beaupain, 8, of Griffith, got stuck inside a bubble. Evans filled a metal tray with bubble solution, placed a block of wood in the center to stand on, and used a string that reached along the edges of the tray to put the kids in a bubble.
"I liked where you got to be inside the bubble," Beaupain said. "It looked sort of blurry."