I painted this piece on location in Venice during our Art Trek we taught in Venice while their infamous Carnival celebration was taking place. Since St. Mark’s Square can get overrun with tourists, we chose to get up with sunrise to enjoy the beauty of the city and the peacefulness of those early morning hours. I love the magical light that comes flooding in from the lagoon and is so distinctive of Venice. Fortunately, I got set up in time to capture the glow from the gas lamps, too, before they went out as daylight approached, adding to the mysterious quality of the plaza. Against a backdrop of the Doge’s Palace, a few people stroll across the square and signal the energy of the day that is to come.