Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Murano, the glass island. Salviati, the glass factory

Text and images Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland

 
Murano, the island of the many, many Venetian glass factories. Every morning tourists start to come over from Venice to visit one of them, to buy glass, to have a coffee, to eat lunch in one of the nice restaurants along the canal, to learn more about the history of Venetian glass in the glass museum.......or to get away from the crowded streets of Venice.

Terje and I came to Murano for the first time in September 2005, on our silver anniversary. I remember visiting one of the glass factories, I remember walking around, having a coffee and a tiramisu, having risotto fruitti di mare for lunch......well, you can actually read all about it here

 
Since then Murano has become a beloved island to us. A quiet place to stay when you are in Venezia. A place where we have good friends.

 
Barbara works in one of the old glass factories, Salviati. Which is not open to tourists group.

Tuesday morning she invited us in.

 
Into the hot, very hot room where the fires are burning day and night all year round. Where masters and apprentices create art for the world. With the help of natures elements, human skills.

 

Berta Rossi creates her art using her hands, together with heart, mind, love, patience, skills. At Salviati the artists create another art, also using their hands, also together with heart, mind, love, patience, skills, breath.

The lace artist. The glass artist.

Labour of love. To make the world more beautiful. To understand the world in a new way. To live more fully.

 
The burning glass in the blue room.

I am in the middle of two of my favorite colours.

In the middle of creation.

 

The workroom is hot. Still I would like to find a chair and sit down with pen and paper.

This is a place for creation.

Creation of glass

Creation of words.

 
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Thank you Barbara for inviting us in to Salviato. For giving us a memorable morning.

 

We are back in Norway now.

I am spending a day with pen and paper.

And memories.

 

The sound of glass music

We spent yesterday over at the northern side of the fjord. A "water day" at the museum Kystens Arv. After an outdoor service with the bishop, we were shown different "tablå", and when water and its music was introduced as the next one out, my mind flew right down to Venezia and my meetings with glass there, on the lagoon islands.

While waiting for the performance to begin, I remembered the sculptures from Murano.....

....and most of all I remembered my very first attempt to handle gass, with Mauro's steady hands helping me....

The theme yesterdays was the glass balls used by fishermen. Three local artists had worked together, making colourful balls, making instruments out of glass, making music.

A breathtaking "tablå". yes, glass makes music, glass makes colours, gass makes movements.

I took a video, and tried to post it here. Sorry, I didn't make it. I tried to post it at YouTube to link it here......no luck. So old fashioned photos and words have to do!

 

While visiting Mauro in June, Terje bought me a necklace in black and red. A friend saw it and told me she coudn't stop thinking about it.....the black beads representing the life and the love between me and Terje, the red threads are what keeps us together, and they are also my travels, friends I meet, the freedom our love gives us,the life I live and love......always spinned around the deep, intimate love between Terje and me.

One day I want, I SHALL go back to Venezia, and while there I'll visit Mauro's new studio. For a few days I want to be his apprentice, for a few days I want to sing the sound of glass music.