We whose native tongue is English sometimes run into pronunciation difficulties when speaking Italian, confusing our c’s and ch’s (cello, chiara, Cimabue, Brunelleschi and so on) but at least there are fairly straightforward rules. Just think of the nightmare our Italian friends have when trying to pronounce English. For a start, there are many words […]
Enjoy a relaxed ‘draw-along’ with Mike online besides the sea
Mike Willdridge’s next interactive, online session on 15 February is a warm, relaxed and peaceful scene: two girls drawing by the sea at Vernazza, one of the picturesque villages in the Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy But it is the figures in which we are really interested, because Mike would like to give you some tips […]
How two remarkable women, centuries and worlds apart, used art to project their power
Looking at Katharine Augusta Carl’s 1903 portrait of Cixi, Dowager Empress of China in the DailyArt online magazine today, I was struck by the parallels with a picture of another woman, made three-and-a-half centuries earlier and half a world away: Eleonora of Toledo, Grand Duchess of Tuscany. Here she is, with her son Giovanni, in […]
Sue Ford now leads our online teach-in on using water-resistant techniques to enhance your watercolours
A thousand thanks to the delightful Sue Ford, who stepped into the breach when Carl March was forced to abandon our Watermill online watercolour painting teach-in this Thursday, due to a family illness. Sue, who also has expertise in these matters, will now lead the FREE online teach-in the use of water-resistant techniques to enhance […]
With more than 30 years’ experience running creative courses, we think we know what we’re doing!
When I first bought the Watermill at Posara in 1989 (having been delighted by the scenery in this unspoiled area of rural Tuscany and enchanted with the ancient buildings and their beautiful grounds), I had no idea that my capricious purchase would turn into a world-renowned centre for ‘convivial creativity’. I was living and working […]
Italian prosecco producers are up in arms against British pubs!
Such is the popularity of prosecco that it has far outstripped champagne as Britain’s favourite fizzy tipple. And Aperol spritz is as enthusiastically sipped in the bars of London as in the canal-side cafés of Venice. But, as is often the case, with demand comes deception. The producers of prosecco, a sparkling white wine from […]
Welcome to Dottoressa Lois in the new Watermill newsletter
The Watermill’s packed February Newsletter celebrates the great event of last month for the Breckon family: Lois’ graduation as a Doctor of Philosophy (music) at the University of London. It gives you the lowdown on why Bill spouts portentous poetry out loud most mornings. It also keeps you up to date on all our Watermill […]
Looking at pictures is good for your mental health
The English poet and playwright William Congreve said: “Music hath charms to sooth a savage breast,” but did you know that paintings, too, can enhance the mood, and that looking at art is good for your mental health? That’s the subject of a fascinating article in the online DailyArt magazine. Author Nina Relf lists five […]
Moving along with the Watermill online: from Mike’s bikes to Randy’s bronco
Thursday’s online interactive painting session with Mike Willdridge captured the Italian sunshine and a couple enjoying a leisurely bicycle ride in a seaside town. It was another lovely session for our ‘virtual’ international painting community, with people from all over the world getting together to paint along with Mike for two or three hours of […]
Ride ‘em, cowboy! How to turn a stunning photograph into a compelling picture, in Randy’s online interactive session
Yee ha! Head out West with us for an American adventure. Randy Hale’s next painting session features this dynamic photograph of a cowboy riding a bucking bronco (left). Randy will show you how to convert this into a stupendous painting, capturing movement, energy and excitement in every brushstroke (right). Saddle up and join Randy for […]