This painting was commissioned as a most unique wedding present for a couple who became engaged on an early morning hot air balloon ride in Colorado. This painting shows their balloon floating over a vast panorama of foothills and distant mountains.
I am showing the progress of the painting almost from the beginning. The canvas was primed with Terra Rosa, which imparts a warm under tone. The mountains get lighter and less detailed as they recede in the distance.
The balloon was the interesting part, because the reference photo I was working from was a panorama shot taken FROM their balloon. I also had a photo of their balloon on the ground so I knew what the colors were. The trick was to superimpose their balloon on the aerial scene and make it look like it was floating over the terrain. Also I had to make the balloon large enough to be recognizable, yet keep it in scale with the magnitude of the view.
I'm very happy with how it turned out, and I hope the bride and groom will treasure this painting of their special morning.
SOLD
