Patchwork Balloon Over the Festival Tents

A hot air balloon rests in the middle of a festival ground, its envelope made of panels in blue, yellow, mint, crimson and lilac, painted with vines, flowers, birds and stars. A lookout with a spyglass stands on a wooden tower on top, and a rope ladder climbs the side. On the green-draped belt of the balloon, a barber trims a customer's hair, a woman has a picnic with two mice, and a violinist plays. Birdhouses hang from the panels, a wisteria and a plum tree grow from the basket, and a man naps in a hammock. Mice sit down to tea in the basket. Around it stand striped tents, gypsy wagons, patterned rugs, barrels and strings of bunting and lanterns. The balloon's bold panels give the picture strong, separate blocks of colour.