Murano Glass

The island of Murano is of course famous for producing stylish glassware, a lot of which seems to find its way into the tourist shops of nearby Venice. This particular vase was actually purchased on Burano, another island in the lagoon which is not geographically very far from Venice, but which is (to borrow Hardy’s book title) far from the madding crowd. If I have to shop, then at least I like to do so in relative peace!

This painting was done with a pallet knife – one of the ways in which I try to stop myself from adding too much detail. The picture captures the vibrant colours of the vase rather well, but the rather rough finish that I get with a pallet knife doesn’t really capture the finesse of the piece. I’m not sure that matters too much, as I think it is mainly the colours and the twisted flair of the neck which really define this vase anyway.