Crowded Sky

Medium: Acrylic on canvas panel
Size: 11X14 inches
Location: Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, New Meixco
Year: 2024

Painted during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, this piece captures the energy of a sky filled with motion—balloons rising at different heights, drifting in loose formation across an open expanse.

Rather than focusing on intricate detail, the painting embraces a more intuitive, expressive approach. Each balloon is rendered with quick, layered brushwork, allowing color and shape to carry the scene. The variety of forms and patterns creates a sense of movement and rhythm, echoing the way the sky fills gradually, then all at once.

Set against a soft, minimal background, the composition keeps the focus on the lift and spacing of the balloons themselves—some close, some distant, all suspended in that quiet, weightless moment before they drift apart.

Created en plein air, this work reflects both the scale and spontaneity of the event—an ever-changing composition that resists being fully captured, but can be felt in pieces like this.