Amber Darling

Colorful painting of one of Venice, Italy’s numerous canals.

Colorful painting of one of Venice, Italy’s numerous canals.

Venice’s most classic mode of transportation.

‘'Three Venice Carnival Figures' is based on the carnival figures I saw just outside of the Piazza San Marco on my second day in Venice. I described my impression of the Three Venice Carnival Figures in my Venice Carnival overview.
"Feeling claustrophobic, we left the crowded square and headed towards the less populated docking area adjacent to the piazza. A trio of figures huddling close together and wearing themed costumes that consisted of a sun and moon figure and a stylized rendition of a well-dressed turn-of- the-century lady, caught our eye. The lady wore a patterned pink lace-trimmed gown, a flowered hat with attached polka dot veil, white fur stole, and a simple white mask with painted blood red lips. The moon figure was wrapped in a dark blue satin cape dotted with the occasional tiny silver star and wearing a blue half moon-shaped mask lined with a silver ruffle. And lastly, the sun figure wore a bright yellow satin gown with silver belt, and a gold heart-shaped mask encircled with rays of gauze."”

‘Venice Carnival Figures in the Crowded Piazza San Marco’ is based on the carnival figures I saw in the Piazza San Marco my second day in Venice. I described my impression of Venice Carnival Figures in the Crowded Piazza San Marco in my Venice Carnival overview.
“While navigating through the sea of black overcoats within the piazza, I spotted triplets wearing impressive identical cream-colored costumes highlighted with stud- lined ‘wings’ and a turquoise blue plume of feathers and gauze atop their heads. The figures wore simple gold masks, turquoise satin capes, and impressive diamond-shaped belts over long full skirts. Excited mothers and their children happily swarmed around the figures like disciples, eager to take photographs of the anonymous celebrities before them.”

‘Snake Woman’ is based on a carnival figure that I saw in the Piazza San Marco the first night I was in Venice. I described my impression of Snake Woman in my Venice Carnival overview.
“…the strobe light effect of dozens of camera flashes going off in the night alerted us to the whereabouts of many brightly colored costumed figures.”… “Most notably, I spied an immobile masked woman sitting on the confetti-strewn stone steps of a building that flanked the piazza obviously impeded by the enormous green tail of her snake-themed costume. Her long green fingers grasped a scaled fan and her headdress was a tangle of tiny snakes reminiscent of Medusa’s fabled locks”

‘Still-Life of Long-Nosed Carnival Mask’ is based on the long-nosed green, red, and gold painted carnival mask that I purchased while in Venice. A closer look will reveal brow ridges indicating that this type of long-nosed mask is intended to be worn by men.

‘Still-Life of Long-Nosed Carnival Mask’ is based on the long-nosed green, red, and gold painted carnival mask that I purchased while in Venice. A closer look will reveal brow ridges indicating that this type of long-nosed mask is intended to be worn by men.