Depends on whether you want a sharp contrast or more of a blending of colors.

I believe Polish Spirit is darker purple than Venosa Violacea and certainly would not clash.

Polish Spirit can be a rather rampant grower--at least it has been in my experience. It am afraid it would swallow a Venosa Violacea and have it for breakfast over the long haul--especially pairing a 2 year old Polish Spirit and a newly purchased VV. You might get away with it if you paid special attention to the VV while it was getting established.

Colorwise the two would do well together especially since VV has a lot of white in the central portion of the sepals.
Two shots of VV in different light.

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Combo picture showing Etoile Violette (right), Blue Belle (left), and Polish Spirit (top center).

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You can't go wrong with white. Huldine is a hard prune type 3, but just bought last year so I don't know how big it will get compared to VV, which I just got this year.Suposed to grow to 8-10 ft.

John Huxtable is another white type 3, and is on sale now at Silver Star Vinery. I have ordered one. It is shorter.

From pictures I've seen, VV can have variable coloration, such as more or less white in the center of the tepals.

I got 2 from different sources. One is in a large tub next to Polish Spirit, sharing a short trellis leading to an enormous lilac clump. The other is just sitting in a gallon pot in between Ville de Lyon & Jackmanii. Not sure if this will be permanent.

Marie in ME

Here is a link that might be useful: John Huxtable

I have Alba Luxurians with my Venosa Violacea. It is a somewhat nodding one with a green spot on the tepals and a pale green bar on the reverse (very nice on a clemmie that nods). It is very vigorous and easy to grow. I think it makes the purple Venosa pop and I like the contrast in shapes.

I like Alba Luxurians also Leslie and have found the amount of white on the bloom can vary from year to year.

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I have VV and Polish Spirit planted on the same obelisk. I went out and tried to get a picture but couldn't get a very good one. They have started to bloom but are growing fast and will be more mixed later. I don't worry about colors matching or contrasting, I just plant whatever I have wherever I can find space and so far haven't run into anything I dislike. Polish spirit is very vigorous but if VV has some room I think they will do OK together.

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I just planted VV last year and it is the most vigorous of the Type III's that I have. Has reached the top of an 8' lattice and it was hard pruned and has been pinched multiple times.

I have it planted in between Prince Charles and Rouge Cardinal.

I like a contrast so they each take center stage..My oldest VV is about 5+feet wide this year and has mingled into Clematis "Empress" and both My roses "New Dawn" and "Cottage Rose"..
the other one I have planted with clematis Florida Alba Plena....Jeanne
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BorS, just goes to show you that clematis vary in vigor from garden to garden. I would not begin to place VV anywhere near the top of the most vigorous type IIIs in my garden. The number of flowers is no where the number on other type IIIs. Try Polish Spirit, Etoile Violette, Huldine, Abundance, etc. or just about any type III. They all have way more flowers than VV. Don't get me wrong. I like VV but it is not anywhere near the top of the list of the type IIIs as far as # of flowers goes compared to other type IIIs.

I paired up VV with Blue angel. Actually in my shade VV has more bluish middle than white and Blue Anjol is picking it up beautifully. I grow my clems in shade and have to say that dark colored clems just don't show off well unless you have something bright to pair it up with, so take it into account.

I have Florida Sieboldii paired up with mine (so much so that I don't know where one starts and the other ends at this point.

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~Chills

I have Etoile Violette. It is half the size of VV. It is planted with Betty Corning and Princess Diana.

I'm sure size/vigor/blooming really does differ around the country and from plant to plant.

BorS, everyone said that Etoile Violette was a monster clematis. It took mine 5 years to get to a good blooming size whereas Polish Spirit was a monster in no time. More evidence that vigor will vary from plant to plant and garden to garden.

I agree with Miguel..In my garden..."Etoile Violette" is in year 3 and is no where a monster as "Polish Spirit" was more vigorous in year 2 than any in my gardens..this year it's climbed up the arbor and half way up my apple tree and trying to smother everything in it's wayyyyy..I gotta move that bugger!!..Jeanne

Thank you all so much for your input and the wonderful photo's. I went on a "wild goose chase" Clematis hunting but found nothing of interest.Went to a local nursery, Earl May Garden Center, Lowe's and Home Depot and they had just the general line they usually carry so I think I may go another direction back to the garden center that I got Venosa. At that time they had a Florida Sieboldii but I didn't buy it since I thought it was a type 2 and now I find that is is considerd type 3.
Just a note to mention that my Etoile Violette is growing like gangbusters but the Polish Spirit does not seem to have the same vigor,however, they are in different locations.

Hey Pump toad, you are just seeing what many gardeners see--a clematis that does well in one garden may not be as vigorous in another so experience is the best teacher.