Our guests on Carl March’s painting week went slightly potty yesterday at the weekly market in the nearby walled mediaeval town of Fivizzano. Leastways, they couldn’t resist the stall selling local ceramic bowls. Quite a few of them bought quite a few of the colourfully patterned bowls, which we, incidentally, use to serve the ‘nibbles’ for our evening aperitivi. Rachel Priest, who took the picture, says:“I think most of us are going home with them in our luggage, hopefully arriving in the UK one piece.”
The market always proves a great attraction, not just for its artefacts and local produce (the dried porcini mushrooms are always in demand), but also for the visit to the local gelataria for a lunchtime panino and scoops of delicious home-made ice cream. All this and sketching the market scenes, and painting the view down the valley. And that is just Tuesday on a typical Watermill painting week.
We will already have painted an imposing castle and today’s excursion day to the quintessential Italian walled city of Lucca, or the UNESCO heritage site of the charming fishing villages of the Cinque Terre. On Thursday we will relax in the tranquil surroundings of an old monastery, and on Fridays we venture to a thousand-year-old hilltop village, with extraordinary views of the towering Apuan Alps, the marble mountains of Carrara.
Add to that inspiring tuition, warm hospitality, delicious food and wine and the convivial company of like-minded people and you have to admit is a recipe for a delightful and creative holiday. To say nothing of the bowls!
We are having a fine time (bowls and all!) at the moment with the lovely painting group under the tutelage of Carl March, and then the Watermill team is going to take a break for a few weeks until we resume the second part of our season. We would love you to join us then.
As well as offering some places still available this year (as below), we are now taking bookings for 2023 and you can find out more about next year’s creative courses by going to the Preview page of the Watermill website. Just click here.
Here is the list of our remaining courses for 2022. You can find out more about each of the tutors by clicking on their Profile page link in their entries below.
Paul Talbot-Greaves – two or three places left
20 – 27 August 2022
Watercolours (and acrylics)
To learn more about Paul and his course at the mill, please visit his 2022 Profile Page.
Rebecca de Mendonça – three or four places left
27 August – 3 September 2022
Pastels
To learn more about Rebecca and her course at the mill, please visit her 2022 Profile Page.
Mike Willdridge (1) – fully booked, waiting list open
3 – 10 September 2022
Watercolours and drawing (also gouache and acrylics, with a special emphasis on drawing on location.)
To learn more about Mike and his course at the mill, please visit his 2022 Profile Page.
Varvara Neiman – still a few places
10 – 17 September 2022
Water-based oils, acrylics and watercolours
To learn more about Varvara and her course at the mill, please visit her 2022 Profile Page.
Mike Willdridge (2) – recently opened, places available
17 – 24 September 2022
‘Colourful watercolours’
To learn more about Mike and his course at the mill, please visit his 2022 Profile Page.
Cynthia Armstrong – fully booked, waiting list open
24 September – 1 October 2022
Watercolours and gouache
To learn more about Cynthia and her course at the mill, please visit her 2022 Profile Page.
Tim Wilmot – one or two places left
1 – 8 October 2022
Watercolours
To learn more about Tim and his course at the mill, please visit his 2022 Profile Page.
Grahame Booth – fully booked, waiting list open
8 – 15 October 2022
Watercolours
To learn more about Grahame and his course at the mill, please visit his 2022 Profile Page.
Our unique Italian Language course:
Giulia Balestri – still one or two places
15 – 22 October 2022
Learning Italian with the Italians
To learn more about Giulia and her
2022 course at the mill, please click here.