It all began when I stumbled upon Ralph Eugene Cahoon. See for yourself:
Mermaids! Sailors! Hot air balloons! Anarchy!
Love it.
So I went on a hot air balloon/airship/dirigible kick, and have dug up some more paintings and photos of these fabulous vehicles:
I love absolutely everything about hot air balloons et al, except actually going up in the air in one. I'd probably lose my lunch, since I've developed a fear of heights over the years. Oh, well. I'll just remain a wistful landlubber and keep collecting balloon-inspired art, I guess.