00:00So I'm painting the view and it's amazing because you get the amazing perspective so I never get this perspective
00:09ever so I get to see everyone as dots which is a really cool pattern from above with the field
00:14and all the bright balloons and in this light it's incredible it's just it's stunning absolutely amazing.
00:22A hot air balloon is a way to see the world from above and for artist Emily Powell it's become
00:28a moving studio.
00:30The 36 year old took her canvas and paints into the air during a mass ascent at the Bristol International
00:35Balloon Fiesta.
00:37It was my first time and it was really really calm you know and it was I don't know I
00:42thought it would be a bit more jolty and things but it was so calming.
00:45I just felt so at peace up there which really surprised me and it didn't feel that high up.
00:52I was just really excited to see everything from a different angle and sort of you could see different colours
00:59and the way they played on each other.
01:02125 balloons took part in this year's Fiesta with balloonists attending from the UK, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico and the United
01:10States.
01:11The reason I love plein air is that you get all the atmosphere and you can just you're painting and
01:19you're picking up all the colours and shapes and line work.
01:22But then doing it in hot air balloon was extra amazing because I was getting a different view that I've
01:28never had before I haven't been able to paint from above before.
01:31So it's getting that atmosphere and all the feelings and so it changed the painting I did.
01:38So at first the people were turning into dots so I did all these multicoloured spots for people then the
01:42crowds and then the houses we started going towards Bristol and I did all the beautiful houses as tiny squares.
01:50And then I did all the lovely hills in the background as the men dips and it just you know
01:56there was so much balloons everywhere.
01:58The bridge, I just got it all in. I was completely spoiled.
02:02The event is now in its 48th year with hundreds of ballooning fans attending Ashton Court Estate for the ceremony.
02:11So I'm a really messy painter so it was quite scary doing it in a basket with lots of other
02:17people and they had very expensive equipment and didn't want to spill any paint.
02:21But as soon as I got up there and I could see and I was just in the zone and
02:25I completely forgot about everyone else.
02:27There might have been a little bit of Turk Boys paint left on the basket and I had my palette
02:33with me and everything just just as normal but slightly smaller canvas this time.
02:38So before I went up I squeezed out about 14 different colours and I hope they didn't dry as we
02:46went up because the fire was going to dry them but it was okay.
02:50And a small pot of water, three brushes, they've gone, and I hope that would be enough and it was.
02:57It was plenty.
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