Have you ever wondered who made those giant inflatable lanterns on the Quail Trail?  Meet Bill Kennedy, aka INFLATABILL, the Northern California artist who has been making inflatable sculpture for over 20 years.

Bill first came to Pickathon in 2011, and to celebrate his 11th year lighting the walk to the Woods Stage, Bill will be showing a retrospective of his previous 10 Quail Trail lanterns.  Keep an eye out for the QR code where you can learn more about each of the pieces he’ll be hanging, as well as a chance to vote for your favorite.

Bill will also be showing his latest collection, Petalous, on the pathway between the Galaxy Barn and the Paddock Stage. Bill designed these large petals to attach to city street lamps, instantly transforming them into giant flowers.  However, as there are no street lamps on Pendarvis Farm, Bill has repurposed materials from a previous project to create new retrofuture flower stalks.

Don’t be surprised if you stumble across even more of his artwork around the farm, as he has been known to pepper Pendarvia with a variety of light sculptures.

Bill first met the GuildWorks crew in 2010 while working in the trees at a music festival, and they invited him to Pickathon.  The following year he arrived with a van full of balloons, and he has been lighting Pendarvis Farm ever since.

In his younger days, Bill liked to jump from things, so he learned how to pack and repair parachutes and worked as a Senior Parachute Rigger.  A decade later, he used those same skills to begin making inflatable sculptures, and he has been refining his skills ever since.