Because I love hot air balloons and wandering around YouTube, I discovered a lot of art projects related to Steampunk. During my search for light bulb hot air balloons, I came across this incredible version of hot air balloon which was silver. had many odd gadgets added onto it, and looked from another world. The fellow who created this piece said it was Steampunk. Okay, I need toknow more. I found Steampunk fascinating in its designs. It was then, I decided to look into origins and reasons for this specific style. Of course, I had heard about Steampunk for years and seen many a fantastic art project related to the genre. I just loved the style. So, what exactly was I being enticed by?
It looked old fashioned but seemed futuristic, What a strange combination but eerily beautiful. Never would have guessed it was taken from Victorian fantasy/science fiction, although I have read Jules Verne and watched The Wild West on television. In those days, there was no terminology other than science fiction to set these pieces apart from the norm. The term was coined in the 1980’s by the author K. W. Jeter. He was looking for a term to encompass the genre of his own writings, as well as other writers of his genre, that included the Victorian era technology with all its steam-powered machines and aesthetic designs. Oh how I have always loved the Victorian era with the fantastic clothing worn and the architecture of the houses were works of art. The men were so dapper. 
The ladies were elegant. 
So many things were being discovered scientifically. So many things were being used that were poisonous, i.e. arsenic in paints and dyes and even medications, What an odd and precarious time to be alive it was. A time of great advancement in technology an age of great wonder and possibility. This was all starting to make a lot of sense. The whole era held a mystery and amazement.
The term Steampunk reaches into the imagination of adventure and intrigue. All the contraptions created to enhance the physical body and boost the abilities of mundane machinery are mind boggling. The darkness to it’s color pallet has a brightness of intrigue. I see the Yin and the Yang brought together in complicated chicanery. What a wonderful playground for the imagination.
Inscects will freak you out. The scorpion and tarantula did it for me. My skin is crawling now! 
The fellow who owns and operates Insect Studio is actually using real insect s specimens implanting various parts and pieces of old sewing machines, watches, or other small mechanical apparatus into an insect body. Whoa right there. Never shall I get into that artistry. Though it is quite intriguing, arachnophobia precludes any further interest.
What about the gadgets and accessories to create what an enhanced physical body including specialized monocles, goggles, telescopes. Consider all sorts of gears readily available for use mounted on clothing or body itself for whatever you need. Souped up underwater diving gear. Incredibly aggrandized guns. Lo and behold the capability of time travel. On and on. Let your mind go wild.
Hot air balloons hold an intrigue for me. Just love hot air balloons in the first place but Steampunk it and WOW. You have a masterpiece.
So many different ways in which to embellish a cleaned out light bulb or a clear Xmas ornament ball. One will have the typical shape of a hot air balloon while the other is the huge globe of mystery. Add on a myriad of gadgetry and you have created a magnificent machine with immense potential! What do you want your air ship to do? Then make it, just make it happen. You can follow instructions on a video exactly to come out with ‘his’ work OR you can let your mind loose on a myriad of possibilities to come up with your own inventive array of gears and bobbles.
The above is the video that has so inspired me to delve into Steampunk……….
Do you remember the old computer game Myst? That was very Steampunky. Just loved all the mechanical gadgets and puzzles of that game. Traveling from island to island solving a great mystery. Hours of fun. Steampunk has infiltrated every aspect of living: fashion, movies and television, games, literature, science and technology, culture, art.
This genre presents such a huge array of possibilities. It is a tad dark but I feel there is room for just a spritz of color. Much like Kim Anderson who added a faint hue of color on just one flower or hat in her otherwise black and white photographs. Quite striking. I can see that happening to some of my hot air balloons in the future. That is one of the great things about creating your own work. You can embellish it however you so choose and make it a truly personal statement of your creativity and talent.
There are a plethora of sites to inform you further on Steampunk. The array of information is endless. Steampunk even has it own wiki site. Have yourself a little wander through the wonders of Google. Check out the literature, clothing, gadgets and what-nots. It is a great place to get lost with all its fascinating wonderments.
“But it is a cold, lifeless business when you go to the shops to buy something, which does not represent your life and talent, but a goldsmith’s.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
I say we all have talent and we all can create what is meaningful within our hearts. Bring forth your creations. Do not rely on the creations of others.