Our painting tutor Randy Hale was inspired by a photograph of the nearby castle and fortified village of Verrucola, where we take our groups during our painting weeks, to produce the stunning watercolour above. He worked on it from 9 o’clock in the morning, “coming up for air” at 2:30 pm Randy has been the tutor on quite a few of our popular interactive online painting sessions, and he will Continue Reading
More good news on travel to Italy this summer
A vaccine passport system could be introduced In Britain in weeks to allow twice-vaccinated tourists to travel abroad without quarantining on their return. The UK government confirmed yesterday that it was considering using jab status to allow travellers to avoid having to self-isolate for up to ten days on return from European countries, including Italy. This welcome move will be Continue Reading
And the good news is… Europe opens the door to American tourists by adding US to ‘safe list’
How pleasant to be able to use a headline ‘And the good news is…!’ But it really is good news for our American friends planning a visit to Italy for a creative week at the Watermill. As of tomorrow, Friday 18 June, the USA has been placed on a European Union ‘white list’, allowing the return of American tourists, even if they have not been vaccinated. (Each European country can make its own Continue Reading
A refreshing activities update for our Watermill patrons
Here’s a little teaser -- a short trailer for a longer, fun video that Lois has made exclusively for our wonderful Watermill patrons. To view the trailer, please just click here. It’s the June update of some of our recent activities at the Watermill, including making your own refreshing elderflower cordial, news about the books we’ve been reading about delightful Italian gardens and David Continue Reading
End of term celebrations at the Bonjour café, for the last of our current ‘life-saving’ online painting sessions
It is sad to report that last Thursday’s Watermill online, interactive painting session with Mike Willdridge was the last of our early 2021 season. But we are glad to report that we will be back online in the autumn/fall of 2021 and look forward to welcoming even more of our enthusiastic guests then. (As well as welcoming Watermill guests for our creative courses for real this summer as travel to Continue Reading
It’s poppy time at the Watermill
Every year our gardener, Flavio Terenzoni, gathers poppy seeds and sprinkles them around the edges of the walled garden, for a splendid annual display at this time of year. It all adds to the continual floral colour we have a Watermill courtyard, the window boxes and the gardens and millstream walks. We would love to welcome you to our corner of paradise on one of our internationally renowned Continue Reading
Refeshingly natural: Lois’ elderflower cordial
Lois has been busy producing a dozen bottles of a delicious elderflower cordial, made from the beautiful flower heads of the elder trees that grow in profusion here. It is very refreshing, served with fizzy water from our special cooling water dispenser. We'd love you to come and try for yourself, on one of our renowned creative courses: like the elderflower cordial they reach places other courses Continue Reading
A commemorative cake from the Bonjour café, for the last of this season’s online interactive painting sessions
This cake is one of the mouth-watering creations of the Bonjour café in the hometown of our friend and painting tutor Mike Willdridge, Poundbury, in the delightful county of Dorset in the south of England. It’s to commemorate the last of this year’s online, interactive Watermill painting sessions, which has proved such a lifesaver so many of our guests last few months. I am sorry, but your Continue Reading
The Roses of Sharon will make a glorious display this summer
We have masses of these lovely Roses of Sharon, both in the walled garden and down by the riverside. They provide glorious colour in the summer months and they are just beginning to blossom. Above are two of them beside the southern façade of the water, overlooking the river. Come and see for yourself on one of our world-renowned creative courses, in painting, creative writing, knitting and Continue Reading
Welcome to the Bonjour Café, painting along online with Mike.
In the final session of our current online, interactive painting season, tutor Mike Willdridge takes you to the charming Bonjour Café in his home town of Poundbury, in the southern county of Dorset in England. Not only will you enjoy a lovely scene but also learn how to simplify your painting to make it more compelling. Mike’s next live, interactive, online session is on Thursday 10 June Continue Reading