Here are just a few of the comments from guests on Keiko’s last painting holiday at the Watermill: ‘The trip of a lifetime!’, ‘If you haven’t been there, put it on your wishlist.’, ‘It is such a lovely place to be, but you and your staff go over the top to make it an exceptional […]
Neglected artists, adolescent punctuation points and a ‘buy now and save’ offer on NEXT year’s convivial creative courses. The April Watermill newsletter is just out.
Will Sofonisba Anguissola soon be joining Artemisia Gentileschi in a Watermill bedroom? That’s the pressing question in this month’s Watermill newsletter, as Lois seeks to redress the balance following the scandalous neglect of women artists in the past. We contemplate the gibbous moon, enjoy wondrous words from The Leopard, worry about the adolescent of punctuation, […]
More Easter creativity at the Watermill, thanks to Lydia and Tam
One of the highlights of a magical Easter holiday at the Watermill with family and friends was a ‘Dining Experience’ created for us all by our daughter Lydia and her friend Tam Shepherd. Meticulous planning went into the creation of an Italian evening with a Mexican flavour, beginning with Milanese Margaritas (tequila and an Italian […]
Join us in helping to solve a major world problem, one well at the time!
We are delighted to report that one of our ‘watery’ charities, WellBoring, has just succeeded in providing clean fresh water to its 400th school and community in Africa. We are proud to be part of their efforts. WellBoring, as its name implies, installs new wells and rehabilitates broken ones, in rural Kenya and beyond. But […]
Warm friendships brighten the rainiest days
It is not always sunny all day at the Watermill. Yesterday, on Easter Saturday, the day was dull and the rain, at times, torrential. But we didn’t let it dampen our spirits. Here we are between the showers hunting for Easter eggs in the Watermill walled garden. My thanks to family Lois, Lydia and Lara, […]
A preview of our 2025 creative courses (they’re filling up already!)
As our 2024 creative courses are pretty full (though there are often cancellations and if you’re keen to come this year, please let us know) we have published a Preview for next year’s (2025) courses on our website a little earlier than usual. And, thanks to the reputation of our tutors and their enthusiasm for […]
Happy Easter. If you are looking for the Easter Bunny, he went thataway!
Yes, the Easter Bunny was last seen diving through the front door of a house in Poundbury, in Dorset, England. Our tutor and friend Mike Willdridge and his lovely wife Sue sent us this picture of their house, saying: “We’re expecting our complete family for Easter (16!) – our door decorated ready for the grandkids.” […]
Thank you, Mike, for many years of inspiration, support and friendship.
We cannot allow Mike Willldridge’s online interactive painting session last Thursday to go uncelebrated. For not only was it the last session of our current interactive season, but it was also Mike’s last-ever. He is retiring this year and after he has been with us for his week-long residential course this summer, he will […]
A magical Florentine aerial show, performed twice a day
We were sitting a month or so ago in the early evening in the rooftop café on one of my favourite buildings in Florence, Brunelleschi’s sublime Ospedale degli Innocenti, when a sensational live performance built up before our eyes. It was what we learned to call a murmuration of starlings, as thousands, if not tens […]
Learn what to leave out when you paint online along with Mike
Mike Willdridge returns to a Mediterranean beach for the next of his interactive online sessions with the Watermill, on 21 March. His subject is two women lying under the shade of a giant beach umbrella and his theme is choosing what to leave out for a picture that is better composed and more interesting. That’s […]