Beads in Venice: a Workshop with Marisa Convento

Quite a few journalists have written articles on Marisa Convento, she has been interviewed so many times, she has appeared on several TV programs, both in the local and in the national television: she is an excellent ambassador of the Venetian craftsmanship.
Her activities at the Association of Venetian Artisans and as the Vice President of the Committee for the Safeguard of the Art of Venetian Glass Beads have contributed in making her really popular among those who care about hand crafted objects, strictly made in Italy.
 
 
Marisa is an impiraressa. This is a typically Venetian job. Translating from an Italian dictionary, “impiraressa is the name given in Venice to those artisans who thread glass beads using long needles” in order to create necklaces, flowers, jewellery… and Marisa is an expert, really.
Her creations are original and marvellous. You can find praise and details about this exceptional master artisan anywhere, in papers, magazines, internet, YouTube, social media…
What we would like to write about is something a bit different, concerning Marisa’s job: she also teaches how to create jewellery and flowers with Venetian beads, although her countless commitments do not leave her a lot of time for this…
 

Become “Impiraressa” for a day with Marisa

And here we are, so excited to start the workshop with Marisa: will we, mere mortals, be able to create something with tiny Venetian beads? Marisa is pretty sure we can make it, and she sets us to work.
 
 
First of all, Marisa explains how to thread the long needles and how to use the different tools that we will need during our workshop experience. Then she gives us a sessola, the special tray with a curved bottom which contains the beads, and shows how to move the fan of needles, so that we can thread more than one needle at the same time.
It might seem quite trivial, but instead it takes a great deal of manual skills and experience to obtain good results in a short period of time… but we are not in a hurry, and little by little we thread our needles with the tiny beads.
   
As soon as we have a dozen threads ready, of the desired length, we decide to create a special jewel that we will hang on our purses. So we add a relatively large bead of more or less the same colour, we fix it to the threads with some iron wire… Et voilà, our jewel si ready!
 
 

A Different Technique: the “Flower Impiraressa”

Impiraresse use a different technique when they want to create decorations such as flowers and leaves.
We use for this purpose only one metal wire and one by one we thread it with Venetian beads. Then we shape the wire into the form we desire, for example a leave.
   
We must confess that this operation, although simple at first sight, requires quite a lot of attention in order for us to reach satisfying results, and we have to try again and again… but with Marisa’s advice we can make it! Then we join the little leaves together, using some silk thread to cover the wire. What can we say? We are happy with the result!
 
 
To tell you the truth, we enjoy all this! So here we go with more creations! At the end of our workshop, this is our “loot”:
 
 
We have definitely had a lot of fun! And we have learned the basics of this marvellous art (an let us tell you that Marisa has even given us some homework! Will we be ever able to do it?). And we have laughed so much with her!
After all, only by trying first hand is it possible to understand what great deal of skills, and above all of passion, is required in order to create artisanal objects of high quality. Luckily enough, Venice is still some sort of a magical place from this point of view: here art and craftsmanship still survive and can grant unique experiences to those who appreciate them.
We’ll be waiting for you to introduce to you Marisa and a lot of other Venetian artisans: your experience in Venice will be unique and memorable! Ciao. 
Contacts: info@guidedtoursinvenice.com