You, too, can have a ride on Flavio’s vintage scooter!
We had another talented group of people with us last month to enjoy a week’s painting with our Australian cobber Terry Jarvis. Here’s one of our guests, Geraldine Larkins, getting ready for a spin on our gardener Flavio Terenzoni’s vintage Vespa motor scooter. Behind is Terry himself, holding up a sketch of the scooter, which he made as a present for Flavio.
Terry will be back with us next year, for another inspiring, sun-filled, fun-filled week, from Saturday 7 July to Saturday 14 July 2018. We’d love you to join us to sample for yourself the delights of life and location in unspoilt rural Tuscany.
As we said, if you book now, you can have a place on any of our 2018 creative courses at 2017 prices. Please email us if you would like to reserve your place on Terry’s course
Waiting lists only on our remaining 2017 painting courses
Although we have no places left on our 2017 painting courses it might be worth trying, because there could be last-minute cancellations.
Varvara Neiman - last-minute cancellation: one or two spaces left
26 August to 2 September 2017
Water-based oils, acrylics and watercolour
To learn more about Varvara, her course at the mill and to see more of her pictures, please visit her Profile Page
Mike Willdridge - fully booked, waiting list open
2 September to 9 September 2017
Watercolours and drawing (also gouache and acrylics with an emphasis on sketching and drawing on location)
To learn more about Mike, his course at the mill and to see more of his pictures, please visit his Profile Page
Nel Whatmore & Rebecca de Mendonça
- fully booked, waiting list open
23 September to 30 September 2017
Pastels
To learn more about Nel & Rebecca, their course and to see more of their pictures, please visit their Profile Page
Charles Sluga - fully booked, waiting list open
30 September to 7 October 2017
Watercolours (and acrylics and oils)
To learn more about Charles, his course at the mill and to see more of his pictures, please visit his Profile Page
Tim Wilmot - fully booked, waiting list open
7 October to 14 October 2017
Watercolours
To learn more about Tim, his course at the mill and to see more of his pictures, please visit his Profile Page
Come and join us and enjoy the magic at the mill!
*** Why not bring your non-painting partner as well?
There’s a generous £250 discount for him/her if they share a room with you - and there’s plenty for them to do. Have a look at our Partner’s Activities Page for suggestions.
Use the 2017 programme link below to view the full list of our inspiring 2017 painting tutors
New projects for Sarah’s 2018 knitting course
Sarah Hazell, who has stepped in to take over Sarah Hatton’s knitting course here in September (when Sarah Hatton had to withdraw because of an illness in the family), has agreed to come to the Watermill next year as well. We are delighted to welcome her here again for her very own course.
Sarah is a designer in knit and crochet, and author of several books. She says: “I have a passion for beautiful yarn and textiles and am endlessly fascinated by colour, pattern and texture”.
Sarah’s workshop at the mill will show you to elevate your knits from homemade to handmade, in particular with cable stitch and sequence knitting. Sarah says: “I have tried to come up with different techniques to the other tutors to give variety to your programme. I am offering two projects:
Creative Cables – this will be a cushion project and include beaded cables, cables in two colours, different textured cables and cables that require using two cable needles.
Sequence Knitting – this will be a shawl project: introduction to the concept of sequence knitting worked flat and in the round, there will be a project as well as the opportunity to design your own scarf or cowl.
Here are a couple of images of sequence knitting and cables. Sarah says: “These won’t be the final projects, but will help to give participants an idea!”
Sarah is also more than happy for participants to bring along their own projects and offer advice/assistance with those. You are encouraged to bring along garments you would like to try and recreate (handknit or store bought), patterns you would like to amend etc. And If you have yarn in your stash that you are keen to make a simple garment from, but no pattern, now is your chance!
Sarah Hazell’s knitting course Knitting and La Bella Vita will run from 5 - 12 May 2018. As we said before, if you book now, you can have a place this course or any of our 2018 creative courses at 2017 prices. You must reserve your place by 1 September 2017. Please email us if you would like to come on Sarah’s 2018 course.
2017 Knitting courses
Due to a cancellation this week we have the Vasari Suite available for Sarah's course. This accommodation is suitable for a single, friends sharing, or a couple.
Sarah Hazell - one or two places remaining
16 September to 23 September 2017
To learn more about Sarah and her courses at the mill, please visit her Profile Page
Fun-filled knitting weeks – we’re already taking bookings for next year!
The goodies on display.
The start of Marie Wallin's first knitting course this year
A guest on one this year’s knitting courses said: “Such perfection, I am spoiled for anywhere else!” and everyone has seemed to have a lovely time on our knitting and La bella vita courses.
We are already taking bookings for 2018, in fact there’s already a waiting list for one of our courses!
2018 Knitting courses
Full details of our 2018 knitting courses will not be on our website until September 2017. If, however, you would like to reserve a place on any of these 2018 courses at 2017 prices, please use our Knitting Enquiry Form by clicking here and scrolling down to 2018 courses. You can find the 2017 prices by clicking here.
Sarah Hazell - still plenty of places
5 May to 12 May 2018
Knitting and La Bella Vita
To learn more about Sarah and her courses at the mill, please visit her Profile Page
Marie Wallin - course full, waiting list open
14 July to 21 July 2018
Knitting and La Bella Vita
To learn more about Marie and her course at the mill, please visit her Profile Page
Lisa Richardson - three or four places remaining
29 September to 6 October 2018
Knitting and La Bella Vita
To learn more about Lisa and her course at the mill, please visit her Profile Page
Full details of our 2018 courses will not be on our website until September 2017, so do take advantage of this advance notice!
And don’t forget that your friend or partner doesn’t need to participate in the creative course, whether it’s painting, language, knitting or yoga.
We offer them a range of Alternative activities for partners on all our 2017 courses, as well as a generous £GBP 250 discount if they share a room with you.
Two yoga and meditation retreats at the Watermill next year
We have two relaxing yet invigorating yoga retreats planned for 2018, with our old friend Claire Murphy and a new yoga teacher, Dina Sheldon.
There could be few better places to relax and unwind than The Watermill at Posara, with its lovingly restored buildings set around a sunlit courtyard. Set in a gentle valley with mountain peaks in the background, the mill is a peaceful spot, surrounded by the National Park of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and The Regional Park of the Apuan Alps, home of the marble mountains of Carrara. This is the heart of Lunigiana, in the North-west of Tuscany, a truly unspoilt part of Italy.
(1) Seeing: Yoga & Discovering the Self through Portraits.
Dina Sheldon is from Michigan USA and her unique week will blend the essential elements of art & yoga to create a fabulous retreat called Seeing: Yoga & Discovering the Self through Portraits. It will run from Saturday 23 June to Saturday 30 June 2018.
The precise timetable will depend on the needs and desires of the group, but will include a variety of yoga techniques, NIA (Neuromuscular Integrative Activity - combining dance, martial arts and mindfulness, to tone your body while transforming your mind. And with artist Pamela Cohen there will be amazing guided self-portrait work to help you further to discover yourself.
Dina on a Watermill terrace
Currently owner of A2 Yoga in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, Dina was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 when under 40 years old. Through cancer she discovered the depth to which yoga can transform life into the joy of living! Her approach is integrative and fun - bringing together body, mind, emotion and spirit.
Dina says: “To embody living yoga, conscious awareness must be present. Every morning just by waking up and stretching, we are doing yoga. Every day Yoga is opening oneself to the possibility of seeing the self as being special. Knowing that is yogic teachings. Yoga becomes accessible, and easy to approach with a willing heart and self-understanding.”
For Dina, Yoga = Life: “We are all born with the knowing of movement.We all come into this world on an inhale, and we will all leave on an exhale...let us learn that in life we live yoga!”
As we said, if you book now, you can have a place on any of our 2018 creative weeks at 2017 prices. Please email us if you would like to reserve your place on Dina’s course.
(2) Nourish – mind, body, soul
Claire Murphy will nourish your mind, body and soul in a unique seven-day yoga and meditation retreat. It will run from Saturday 25 August to Saturday 1 September 2018.
Please email us if you would like to reserve your place on Claire’s 2018 course.
2017 Yoga retreat
There are still a few places left for Claire's 2017 yoga retreat. Please visit our 2017 Yoga retreat programme if you would like to join us.
Claire Murphy - three or four places left
9 September to 16 September 2017
Nourish - mind, body and soul
To learn more about Claire and her course at The Watermill, please visit her Profile Page
2018 Yoga retreats
Dina Sheldon
23 June to 30 June 2018
Seeing: Yoga & Discovering the Self through Portraits
Please email us if you would like to reserve your place on Dina’s course. If you book now, you can have a place on any of our 2018 creative weeks at 2017 prices.
Claire Murphy
25 August to 1 September 2018
Nourish - mind, body and soul
Please email us if you would like to reserve your place on Dina’s course. If you book now, you can have a place on any of our 2018 creative weeks at 2017 prices.
A creative writing week in unspoilt Tuscany
Thousands of people who would like to write their life story, or at least a part of it, but just don’t know where to start. How do you capture on paper all the interesting, exciting, amusing, inspiring things that have happened in your life? And how to you make them into a series of stories, or a longer memoir, that other people really want to read? Who better to help you than Jo Parfitt, author, journalist, teacher, blogger, conference speaker and poet, who has helped more than 100 authors get into print.
Jo's course is the perfect first step for any writer wanting to develop the skills and confidence necessary to move into writing memoir, non-fiction, articles or blogs. It’s designed to help both enthusiastic beginners and more experienced writers. Many of her students have gone on to publish full-length books.
You will have the perfect opportunity to make new friends in the company of like-minded people, learning innovative writing techniques with skilled help from Jo ... and enjoying unspoilt Italy and, of course, fantastic food and wine.
The Write Your Life Stories creative writing course is designed to help you produce your best work, to find your true writer's 'voice' and to write authentically. Among other things, you’ll discover the secret of SPICE, the seven steps to writing life stories, and put this into practice right away.
Jo says: "The course at the watermill will provide a safe haven in which to unlock your creativity, write from your heart and hone your writing craft. It will also help to remove blocks to your writing. Sessions at the mill will empower students to write in a compelling way that makes real experiences come to life."
Jo Parfitt
22 September to 29 September 2018
Write Your Life Stories
Please email us if you would like to reserve your place on Jo’s course. If you book now, you can have a place on any of our 2018 creative weeks at 2017 prices.
Everything's included in your watermill painting holiday, yoga retreat, knitting week, personal development, or Italian Language course
Don’t forget that everything is included in the cost of a painting holiday, yoga retreat, knitting, personal development or language holiday: tuition, accommodation (including all linen and towels), pre-dinner aperitifs, all meals and local transportation (including transfers to Pisa airport; an excursion by train to visit the ancient walled city of Lucca or the stunning seaside villages of the Cinque Terre). All you have to do is to get to Pisa airport and we do the rest. If you book before 1 September you will enjoy next year's course at this year's prices, starting at £(GBP) 1,445 per person per week (based on two people sharing), with a discount of £250 GBP for a non-painting or non-writing partner. Single rooms start at £ (GBP) 1,575.
Whether you're travelling alone or with a partner you can be sure of a warm welcome, and that you'll be well looked after. We have built our reputation on the comfort of the mill and the care we provide.
Become a friend of The Watermill at Posara
Visit our Friends Website (Link below). Just follow the instructions to Register as a Friend and then Log In to enjoy special privileges. If you become a ‘Friend’ (it will cost you nothing) you’ll enjoy many exclusive benefits, including dozens of practical and inspiring tips from our international painting and creative writing tutors and recipes from the watermill’s mouth-watering menus. And there will be exclusive offers for Friends to make our courses and holidays even more attractive.
All that remains is to wish you a really great tail-end of summer from all the team here in Italy. If you haven't been already, we look forward so much to welcoming you to The Watermill at Posara in the coming weeks!
With very best wishes a tutti
Lois and Bill Breckon