Images in Venetian Masks have different origins, one of them is in COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE. A form of improvisation theatre from the 16th century with clowns, jesters and fools.

One of the best known characters from this form of theatre and era was Harlequin, who wasn’t a clown but a slave or servant.

Much of the imagery from Harlequin we still associate with traditional fools and Venetian Masks, such as the tricorn hat and the diamond pattern.

You can add texture to Powertex projects, such as the diamond pattern on the eye mask and the mosaic pattern on the base by adding a layer of Easy Structure applied through a stencil. The braid and rose around the base of the hat us made with stone art and silicon moulds.

The hat was made by colouring ivory Powertex with pink pigment powder before it was applied to the material. I then painted the back with blue pigment and edged them with gold.

History is full of inspiration if you look for it.

Emma W