Michelangelo was undoubtedly a genius and his masterpieces such as the David in Florence, the Pietà in St Peters and the Vatican's Sistine chapel ceiling, are immortal. But he was also an Italian – and therefore well acquainted with ‘furbo’, a trait much admired in Italy. It may be translated as ‘cunning” or ‘crafty’ or ‘sly,’ and it is appreciated by the Italians in the same manner that the Continue Reading
Objets trouvés at the Watermill
An objet trouvé, as you well know, is something found by an artist and displayed with no, or minimal, alteration, as a work of art. Well, we don’t count ourselves as artists like our wonderful painting tutors and their talented students, our guests on our creative courses, but there are objets trouvés scattered about the mill to add further sources of inspiration for painting, along with the Continue Reading
Eine kleine nachtmusik at the Watermill
Well, to be strictly accurate, it is a little evening music, un po' di musica serale, as the Italians would have it. An innovation on our creative courses is a little light evening music, provided by two young musicians, sister and brother Letitia and Harry , who come to play for us on Sunday evenings while we enjoy our aperitivi on the vine verandah. Both live locally and are studying music at Continue Reading
A colourful early start to Randy’s week
Up bright and early, our enthusiastic American tutor and friend Randy Hale, started his first painting of Sunday morning at the beginning of his creative week with us. As the subject? The Watermill car park! No, seriously, Randy was more interested in sketching the higgledy-piggledy houses of the village of Posara beyond. Here’s the finished sketch – and the day had hardly Continue Reading
Bring your sketchbook to capture the Tuscan countryside with Carl
Carl March, our exciting new watercolour tutor from England has just send me this lovely sketch of the botanic gardens in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. He says: “I am particularly pleased with this latest painting in my sketchbook and I am looking forward to helping our guests with their own sketchbooks, capturing sunlight and vibrant colours of Tuscany. Carl is an English painter and Continue Reading
Another symbol of the re-flowering the Watermill’s creative courses
This rose, on the corner of the steps of the Tuscan House in the Watermill courtyard, didn’t do very well at all last year, failing to produce any flowers. But this year it has blossomed, quite literally, adding its beautiful pink flowers to cornucopia of colour in the courtyard and the Watermill walled garden. Another symbol of our artistic regeneration. Come and see for yourself (the hollyhocks Continue Reading
Come and share Carl’s passion for painting
Due to a sudden cancellation, we have an extra place available Carl March’s painting course next month. Carl March, an English painter and printmaker, has studied in Milan and lived until recently in Dubai: a truly international artist! Drawing and design are his passions and he likes to experiment with various drawing mediums, combining them with traditional watercolour painting processes to Continue Reading
Don’t take our word for it: here’s what painting tutor Mary Padgett had to say after her first visit to the mill
Passionate pastellist Mary Padgett recently tutored her first painting course at the Watermill. And she’s just penned,this charming reflection on her time with us. She says in her latest newsletter: “I spent the first week of May in Tuscany, in Lunigiana, an off-the-beaten-track district in the province of Massa Carrara. I went there to teach a plein air workshop at The Watermill, a compound of Continue Reading
Randy returns to a dramatic subject – and to the Watermill
Randy Hale, our encouraging and enthusiastic watercolour tutor, keeps on enjoying the Watermill and its surroundings at long-distance, painting, from photographs and mental memories, the scenes that inspired him on his last visits to us. You may recollect a few months back we showed you his dramatic picture of the house and palm trees on the switchback road from Posara to the walled mediaeval Continue Reading
Catch up with all the Watermill’s goings-on in this month’s newsletter
What is this unruly head of hair doing in the Watermill’s June newsletter? To find out more, just click here. Other stories include: There’s still time to book on one of our renowned creative courses this year.Try your hand at gouache (as well as watercolours) with Pamme TurnerOverwhelming TripAdvisor praiseIt’s a dog’s life if you’re not in ItalyBotticelli and Tim Continue Reading