Dear Friend,

It is so good to be back in the swing of running our weekly creative courses after the trials and tribulations the past couple of years or so. And our guests seem to be having a wonderful time, too, judging by the great reviews some of them have posted on Tripadvisor (see below), as well as by their personal thanks for the enjoyment of their week with us. We are so pleased to be able to share the unique environment of the Watermill and spread a little happiness...

In May, we ran two knitting courses, with Louisa Harding and Debbie Abrahams and two painting courses, with Mary Padgett and Keiko Tanabe. The pictures above and below this introductory section give you a flavour of our activities. Top left: choosing the yarn on Louisa’s knitting course; top right: some of the participants’ work on Mary’s pastel course; bottom left Lynne Roche and Jeffra Ruesink, generous with their praise for Mary’s week; bottom right: some of the output on Debbie’s knitting week.

Mary Padgett’s atmospheric pastel of
Vernazza in the Cinque Terre,
one of our excursion venues

Come and enjoy inspiring tuition, warm hospitality, a beautiful setting and wonderful scenery, delicious food and the convivial company of like-minded people. We’re looking forward to a full season of creative courses, in painting, writing, knitting and Italian language, with a record number of some 250 guests so far reserving their places. If you are already booked in, we look forward to welcoming you here; if you haven’t booked, we still have a few places left. There are details and links below.

In this month’s newsletter we also have stories on:

• Mike Willdridge never stops sketching, even at the hairdressers
• Try your hand at gouache (as well as watercolours) with Pamme Turner
• Overwhelming Tripadvisor praise
• It’s a dog’s life if you’re not in Italy
• Botticelli and Tim Wilmot are keen to greet you
• Looking forward to knitting in 2023
• Why the writer’s parrot changed its ways
• A fatty bacon incident on a bus.

Happy reading!

“No need to get your hands dirty
on a Watermill creative course”
Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in Ghost

Bring a partner:
there's plenty for them to do

They don’t have to participate in the course, but they will be able to enjoy the wonderful hospitality of the mill and, whenever they want, to come out with you to our beautiful locations.

We also offer a range of Alternative activities for partners on all our courses, as well as a generous £GBP 250 discount if they share a room with you.

Mike never stops sketching, even at the hairdressers

it looks like it could do with
a little attention!

You’ll know by now that our friend and Watermill painting tutor Mike Willdridge takes a sketchbook with him wherever he goes – and he recommends that you do the same. He took his sketchbook recently to the hairdressers in Winchester, England, recently, not to sketch while having his own haircut (it’s a bit difficult when your hands are under the hairdresser’s cape), but rather while accompanying his granddaughter to have her hair done. Among the results was that delightful sketch above, and these two below.

Mike says: “I think that’s what I find exciting about working, especially at speed, in a sketchbook - you’ve only enough time to mark down the essentials. It’s that need to rapidly prioritise what you’re drawing that often lends a feeling of truth to an image.”

Mike’s course this year is currently full, but there are often cancellations, so if you’re interested in coming, please let us know via the Watermill Contact Form. We will put you on a waiting list. Or you may care to think about joining Mike’s course next year. You can see a preview of all our 2023 courses by clicking here And there is a bonus: if you book now, you can enjoy any one of our 2023 courses at 2022 prices.

Try your hand at gouache (as well as watercolours) with Pamme

Some of Pamme’s ‘iconic visions’ in gouache and egg tempera

Have you ever tried painting with gouache, that is opaque, rather than transparent, watercolour? If you join Pamme Turner for her course here this July you will be able to have a go, because it is a medium that Pamme enjoys and in which she excels.

Like watercolour, gouache paint can be re-wetted and it dries to a matte finish. It is a particularly popular medium for posters. Pamme also uses egg tempera, made from coloured pigments and a water-soluble binder of egg yolk, which was the primary medium for painting until oils took over in the 1500s.

Another of Pamme’s iconic visions

She likes to create images using both gouache and egg tempera. She says: “I attempt to create a visual palette for the senses through hand-made colour and the physical layering of transparent and opaque paints. In many of these paintings, my raw first studies and painted sketches in the studio and on location transform themselves into these finished, formalized artworks which are icon-like, emblematic or what I have named my “iconic” visions.”

Come and experiment with Pamme and add a new dimension to your watercolour painting. She will be with us from Saturday 9 July to Saturday 16 July 2022. Pamme’s course is called a Plein Air Essentials workshop (for watercolor and gouache).

And don’t forget that, as well as experimenting with new materials, you will also be Cool and Green: all our public rooms, including the studio, and all our bedrooms are air-conditioned powered by electricity from our hidden array of photovoltaic cells, which make us self-sufficient in electricity.

Pamme Turner - two or three places left
9 - 16 July 2022
Watercolour and gouache en plein air
To learn more about Pamme and her course at the mill, please visit her 2022 Profile Page.

Overwhelming Tripadvisor praise

We have had some amazingly positive feedback from our first four creative courses, with phrases like ‘fabulous hosts,’ ‘fantastic food, ‘an ideal environment for artistic guests,’ and ‘beautifully planned; everyone had a fantastic time.’

Sonia Lovett, who came on Louisa Harding’s knitting week, said: “Perfect in every way - in fact I have just booked again for next year.” You can read the whole of Sonia’s review by clicking here.

And Sharon O’Rourke, who was with us for Debbie Abrahams’ knitting week, said: “This venue is so beautiful and the hosts, Lois and Bill Breckon so welcoming. Not only was Debbie’s workshop more than I could hope for, but The Watermill so exceeded my expectations.” Again you can see the full review by clicking here.

Lynne Roche, who was on Louisa’s week, wrote on Tripadvisor: “Perfect in every way.” She said: “It was truly delightful in every way. Our room was spacious and spotlessly clean, with a view of gardens and the river. So blissfully quiet at night! I loved that there are so many places to gather or steal off by oneself if space is needed. The meals were amazing; delicious, plentiful and varied. What a treat to have cocktails before dinner every evening and digestivi after. I'm having to adjust to "real life" now that I'm home! The outings that we were taken on were also interesting, beautiful and efficiently executed. Lois and Bill were the perfect hosts and their assistant Karsten was always at the ready if anything was needed. Finally, we had so much fun meeting new friends and laughing more than we have in ages. It was a great experience and we recommend it highly!”

Jeffra Ruesink, a guest on Mary Padgett’s pastel week, wrote; “I feel so lucky to have spent a week at the watermill and I give it my most enthusiastic recommendation. my list of appreciations is long, but foremost is that every detail is accounted for - there are simply NO logistical hitches! guests are totally free to both pursue what they came to do - in my case painting - and to enjoy the beautiful surroundings (of which I took at least 1000 photographs). nothing was lacking - the facilities are a wonderful blend of history, beauty, and functionality; the food is plentiful, soulful, and clearly made by hand; the house wines are lovely (not to mention the daily aperitivi and digestivi); and the espresso flows at any time of day.

“The hosts even lent me a mat and weights so I could continue my daily workout routine. there were absolutely no extra charges or fees. in short, my painting tutor was able to totally focus on her students in this environment - what an amazing luxury.”

Our thanks to our guests for all those kind words. But, you know, the success of any gathering depends as much on the guests as it does on the hosts. Thus, a big thank you to ALL our guests for spreading a little happiness along with us.

It’s a dog’s life

(Left) Picture: Italia-Italy (Right) Picture: Alison Beckett

We couldn’t resist showing you again this picture (above left) of a dog realising he had woken up and was no longer in Italy. This is an unwanted side effect of a Watermill creative week. But it does wear off -- and a great antidote is to book for another creative week next year and let eager anticipation overcome the blues.

Here (above right) is another dog whose mistress didn’t invite her to the knitting course!