Edinburgh mask maker Lorraine Pritchard on Sunday, January 28, 2024 alongside some of her Venetian masks which will be worn and displayed at the Venice Carnival, which starts on Saturday February 3. Lorraine studied model making at Glasgow College of Building and Printing and Venetian mask making in Florence, Italy. She travels to Venice each year to be a “mask” herself, wearing different masks she has designed as a live exhibit of her work. (Photo by Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images)

Born in Russia where he was educated in fine arts from a young age, Rinat Shingareev took an early interest in the subject, for which he showed an affinity and talent. Later moving to Italy to attend the Fine Arts Academy he has been described by Italian Maxim as “one of the most talented artists in the world”. Now based in London Shingareev continues to paint vibrant and thought provoking pieces.

Model Bianca Balti prepares backstage at the Iceberg Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 fashion show as part of Milan Womenswear Fashion Week on February 24, 2012 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)

The extravagant residence Castello di Sammezzano sits on top of a hill in Tuscany, Northern Italy. Originally it was built in the Moorish style in 1605 for Ximenes d'Aragona and then re-designed between 1853 and 1889. After the war the castello was used as a luxury hotel until closure in the mid to late 1990's. It was abandoned until April 2012 when the FPXA committee was formed, aiming to promote and enhance the castle.

The project “1000 Shadows” by the street artist Herbert Baglione, who populates abandoned places around the world with strange and misty shadows and creatures… His latest creations are set in the empty rooms of an old abandoned psychiatric hospital in the city of Parma in Italy, which further increases the fascinating and frightening ambiance of his creations.

Andrea Falaschi, the artist who made these creepy Lovecraftian bottles comes from Italy and as he states in his short bio he was born in ’86, during the months of the Chernobyl radiation accident – that changed forever his genes, turning him into a monstrous creature who still lives in a shell of human flesh. Andrea Falaschi is a self-taught sculpturer and painter.

These are the amazing panoramic photographs that look like little planets. They were taken by photographer Dan Arkle, 34, from Sheffield, UK. He said: “On a sharp summit, you feel literally on top of the world, with dramatic views in all directions, including straight down. I tried using conventional photography to capture this feeling, but even with a wide angle lens I couldnt get all the view in the image”. Here: “Taken at the tiny summit of Cima Piccola in the the Tre Cima group in the Dolomites, Italy. The large peak is Cima Grande Some remote peaks have a summit register, and my climbing partner Steve can be seen signing this in the bottom of the picture”. (“Little Planets” Project. Photo and comment by Dan Arkle)