What is 2000 Balloons!?

Quite simply, it's a celebration of hot air ballooning for the year 2000/New Millennium and my most ambitious balloon painting ever! Two thousand unique balloons from the world over will make up a stunning 20 x 30 inch painting and I want your favourite balloon to be one of them.

How much will it cost to include my balloon?

The cost was only £15.00 GBP or $25.00 USD for the inclusion of each balloon of your choice*. I will need a photograph of your balloon/s or you can e-mail me a jpeg. Even better, if there is a picture of your balloon on a website, send me the URL (web site address and page reference) and I can download it.

How do I win the painting?

For each balloon you nominate, your name will be entered into a prize draw and the first name drawn will win the original painting!** Sponsor one balloon and you have a one in 2000 chance of winning the original. Sponsor four balloons and the odds reduce to 1 in 500.

Will you be producing any posters of the painting when it is finished?

Yes. I shall publish an artist signed limited edition of just 2000 posters. As a thank you to you for being a part of 2000 balloons, a poster will be reserved for you at a very special price, a poster for each balloon you nominate. I plan to sell the posters on the open market for at least £60/$100. But if you nominate a balloon, then you only pay £15/$25*** for your poster. You can nominate as many balloons as you like and each balloon nominated will reserve you a poster. So the total cost of a limited edition poster, with your balloon included, is 50% cheaper than if you want a poster, without having an input into the final image.

When you have your poster framed and hanging on your wall, you will have great fun playing 'hunt my balloon' and you can drive your friends and neighbours mad by getting them to do the same.

If I want say, 4 balloons included, do I have to buy 4 posters?

No - but you do have that option, which will be held open for you, up until the posters are ready to go on sale. In other words, at this point in time you may want 4 balloons included, but may only want to reserve 1 poster. You can let me know any time that you want to take up your full allocation. You don't have to pay for the  reserved posters until they are ready to be shipped. On the other hand, if you only nominate one balloon but would like to buy 4 posters, then only one can be purchased at the special price. If you want an extra poster, save money and nominate an extra balloon!

I'd like to be a part of 2000 Balloons! but I don't have a balloon. Can I choose any balloon?

Yes. It could be a balloon you had your first flight in, or one that you have crewed for. Maybe there is a special favourite of yours, a shape perhaps? Some pilots have nominated all the balloons that they have ever owned and other people have asked me just to include any balloon on their behalf so that they qualify for the special price poster and the draw for the original painting.

Maybe you dream (lottery win pending) of owning a balloon depicting your favourite football team crest or state flag, or any other interest of yours. If you are unsure of which balloon you would like, then e-mail me some of your interests and I should be able to find a balloon that would be relevant to you. Remember, the more balloons you sponsor, the more chances you have of winning the original and the more posters you can purchase at the discounted price.

What if someone has already nominated a balloon I would like?

I would then ask you to choose another. Look at it like this. Someone else has already paid to nominate the balloon you want. If you nominate another balloon, then you can get the special priced poster and it will have two balloons on of your choice. I will include more than one balloon of the same design, if there are several balloons that are the same, or similar such as the ladybird balloons, or, if two sides of a balloon are very different, like the Coco the Clown balloon which has a happy face and a sad face.

How big will the balloons be?

Each balloon will occupy it's own square measuring 12 x12 mm, or just over half an inch. Each balloon will act as a pixel and the whole effect will be to create a bigger overall picture. Although the balloons will be quite small, I pride myself on my ability to be able to produce detail accurately. Although I plan to paint 2000 balloons, the canvas actually divided into 2048 squares, so I am utilising the spare squares to pick out some of the tricky detail which I hope will help create the overall image I want.

That depends on how quickly I can get the 2000 balloons for the painting. I am however viewing this as a two year project covering the year 2000 and the year 2001 - the Millennium years, depending on your point of view. I estimate the painting will take 2000 hours allowing on average one hour per balloon. The longest any painting has taken me previously is 250 hours!

I have been commissioned by record breaking 'around the world' pilot Brian Jones to depict his and Bertrand Piccard's epic flight. I have painted the record breaking Special Shapes Rodeo for Albuquerque. Now I want to paint your balloon as part of this record breaking project!

Here are some of the comments from balloonists who are already part of 2000 Balloons!

"What a fantastic idea!" Caroline & Andrew Gibson, Editors of the British Balloon & Library magazine "Trailrope".

"I L...O...V...E....IT!!!!!!!!!! I want to sign up for three balloons." Eric Hodges, Pilot, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

"I reckon this is the best 'Millennium project' I've heard of!" Ian Comley, Pilot, Gloucester, England.

* The price per balloon will be fixed for the following currencies: £15.00, US$25.00 on cheque/check payments.
The following currencies are subject to the current exchange rate when paying online: (50) Deutsch Marks, (2500) Japanese Yen, (70) Euros.
Figures in brackets are approximate.

** Time and place of the draw will be announced at a later date.

*** This does not include the shipping price. You do not need to pay for the poster until it is published.

COMING SOON TO 2000 BALLOONS!

REGULAR UPDATES of the painting as it progresses.

2000 BALLOONS! BALLOON RACE. Which country will nominate the most balloons?

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