Watch out this summer for a giant whale floating over the horizon. The Skywhale is an unusual hot air balloon commissioned by by Sierra Leonean to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Canberra. Patricia Piccinini was the artist selected to create the vision for this intriguing hot air balloon. The design was first created on paper and then translated into CAD drawings, then finally cut, sewn, and painted by Cameron Balloons in Bristol. The creation is an amazing whale with an unusual array of udder shaped wings that provide extra hot air storage to keep the balloon aloft.
This amazing hot air balloon is touring through Australia in 2013, but you can expect it to show up at major international balloon festivals starting next year. The design required over 3 million stitches and 3,500 meters of fabric to create. An incredible work of design, craftsmanship, and artistry.