Hot Air Balloon Nursery Art Print
I admit I struggle sometime explaining where some of my art comes from, such is the case with this hot air balloon nursery art print. You see, in the strictest sense, I’m not describing a room where this would fit but the actual subject or what it depicts. Take a look!
This was a concept that I had rolling through my head for much of 2016. I’m not sure where the notion of hot air balloons being born came from. Perhaps it was a dream since it has a dream-like or whimsical quality to it? But 2016 was a rough year in my family and although the idea bounced around, the will and sense of inspiration needed to sit down and work on it never seemed to be there. But the idea behind this hot air balloon nursery art persisted. I never lost sight of a Ferris wheel where the gondolas were transformed into baby balloons.
Perhaps it was imagination combined with a wish to recapture happy memories of flying in a hot air balloon several years ago – still one of the highlights of my travels? The experience was beyond a doubt exhilarating and came with a sense of the world being new again – hearkening back to childhood. It may say a lot about me that the same trip where I saw ancient pyramids, one of my favorite memories was looking down over the landscape below from a hot air balloon? Ah well, growing up is dull!
Whatever the inspiration, there are a lot of levels to this work. There’s a sense of rebirth, letting go, child-like innocence and more. But I’d much rather you bring your own emotions to this one. What does this say to you? What symbolism do you find in the surreal and whimsical sight of hot air balloons being born aloft?
While I think I would have loved this hot air balloon nursery art print as a child, that wasn’t the plan when I made it. I was trying to exorcise an image that had followed me for months on end. I think this whimsical artwork is equally at home with the young as well as the young at heart who enjoy peeling back the layers to life a little.
I’d love to hear your thoughts – where would you hang this? And what meaning do you find in it?
If you’re interested in prints, you can see my “Aerial Birth” print on my site.
You can also look at all of my hot air balloon art – much inspired by my experience flying on my site.
