ABOUT THE ARTIST
Charles Markert, of Excelsior Minnesota is an artist who was accustomed to hand painting portraits on a large scale, but he discovered a more complex canvas on which to paint when General Mills contracted him to paint a bowl of cereal on their hot air balloon.
50 hot air balloon envelopes later, he has had his masterpieces hung in the most visible locations possible - the skies of the world!
All of Markert’s balloon envelopes are completely hand painted which left him with no room for error. His talent is un-measurable as he is the only artist in the world who has done this.
His commissions would often take three to 12 months to complete and only then, upon first inflation, is when the results of his efforts were unveiled.
Markert created kinetic fantasies that move against the changing background of sky and landscape. Some of his masterpieces are preserved in museums around the world and about a dozen balloons can still be found flying in the skies today.
Charlie left us in January 2026. We thank you
for visiting this site and if you have questions of any kind regarding how he created these amazing pieces of art please use this link to send us a question. Charlie loved to answer questions about the balloons he has painted. We are happy to answer any questions you may have.
RIP Charlie, you will be missed.
