The Islands of Venice; Through the Eyes of an Artist
If visiting Venice, I highly recommend getting a day pass for a vaporetto (water bus) and check out the Islands near by. It is well worth it, and you can see Burano, Murano, and Torcelli in half a day. We got a one day travel card for about $25 and had unlimited use for the day. It was less expensive than getting separate tickets.
Our 1st stop was the island of Murano, aka "glass island", about a 5 minute boat ride from Venice.
We arrived at about 9 am and went straight to the glass making studio. It was rainy and a bit chilly, which worked in our favor as we and 2 other people were the only ones there to see the presentation! Plus, it was nice and toasty inside as they held the glass over the fire. Watching the beads of color metamorphose into beautiful sculptures was mesmerizing! When we walked around the gallery afterwards to see the pieces, I was absolutely amazed with these works of art. My favorites were like paintings made of glass and gold leaf.
I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside the gallery, but here's a link to some Murano glass beauties.
Honestly, that was about all we cared to see, and I had heard there wasn't much else to Murano...and RATS, we couldn't have a picnic. (See below. I must say, I've found some pretty interesting signs around Italy that have made me chuckle!)
So, on to my favorite of the 3 Islands we visited; the fishing village of BURANO, known for it's colorful houses and lace-making.
I felt as if I were in a movie as I disembarked the vaporetto. (Keep in mind it had been completely overcast and rainy all morning). I walked down an alleyway, and stepped onto a bridge; and at this moment, as if the director of my movie yelled "lights!", a beam of sun rays poured through a tiny opening in the clouds and lit up the town.
It was like opening up a box of brightly colored crayons...an artists delight! As the origin goes, fishermen would go out to sea, and couldn't see their home through the fog, so each home was painted a different color. Also, the houses don't have numbers on them, they are only known for their color.
Here are a few paintings inspired from this quaint village:
"Reflections of Burano" (sold)
"A Fragrant Affair" (click to see time lapse video)
Apparently we can thank Renaissance painters for making Burano lace famous! In the 1600's Burano lace gained such fame that it became a status symbol for European nobles. Portraits of nobles wearing outlandishly fancy lace collars—the kinds you see in the Renaissance paintings of Rembrandt and van Dyck—helped make Venetian lace a status symbol among aristocracy from Ghent to Paris. European nobles wore their Venetian lace finery to sit for portraits that would be handed down to future generations. Artists were challenged to capture the web-like intricacies of lace in paint.
I can totally understand the intrigue the artists must have felt to desire to paint the exquisite lace. I myself had to urge to rise to the challenge, and made the attempt:
"Leather and Lace" 16x20 Oil on museum quality panel:
Woman making lace using a tombolo (or lace pillow)
The shops themselves were so beautifully decorated, they were works of art in themselves.
Inside a lace shop looking out at Burano
I fell in love with some of these exquisite pieces of clothing, but unfortunately they were out of my price range!
A few more beauties from Burano:
The last stop was Torcello, one of the earliest settled islands in the lagoon. It was serenity among the bustle...a peaceful, quiet monastery.
Apparently Earnest Hemingway frequented this restaurant/Inn...
We stopped for Hot Chocolate before heading back to Venice...It was so rich and thick you almost had to chew it before swallowing.
The birds seemed to be attracted to it! Who can blame them?
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