One of the lesser-known, but annually impressive, sights of Florence is the Iris Garden, next to the Piazzale Michelangelo. Here are displayed an immense variety of different coloured irises, the symbol of the city. My friend Pasquale and I visited last week to see the show and watch the people, particularly the crocodiles of bright-eyed schoolkids looking at the wonderful blooms. The garden is Continue Reading
While Mary Padgett teaches pastels, husband Buzz sketches – on his phone!
Everyone on Mary Padgett’s pastel painting week here at the Watermill seems to be having a wonderful time getting their hands dirty and capturing the wonderful surroundings of the Watermill with pastel. Meanwhile, Mary’s husband Bill ‘Buzz’ Padgett, officially a non-participating partner, but a talented artist in his own right, has been sketching away too – on his phone. That’s his picture Continue Reading
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May: painting en plein air in early spring
I’ve just been looking at Watermill painting tutor Pamme Turner’s latest blog, about painting outdoors in early spring, in which she quotes that famous line above from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18. Pamme has been painting en plein air on the East Coast of the USA and she writes in her travelling artist blog that Shakespeare: “sums up the springtime plein air painting weather on the East coast and Continue Reading
When in doubt, make it up, says Randy!
What do you do if you find the subject of your painting is a little dull, a little static, not much going on? Easy, says Watermill painting tutor Randy Hale, make up a little activity to bring it to life. Randy says: “I had a few extra minutes to do a second plein air painting the other day. The subject was a mustard-color brick building. Not too much else going on, so I quickly added a few Continue Reading
An elegant pastellist celebrates the beginning of our painting course season
Here is Jeffra Ruesink, one of our painting guests on Mary Padgett’s pastel course, painting the old 17th Cenury mill and the cascades. It is a fitting picture to celebrate the first of our painting courses of the season. Why don’t you come on one of our celebrated painting courses? There are endless subjects to paint in and around the Watermill and in the glorious unspoiled rural scenery that Continue Reading
Walking with your sketchbook in unspoilt rural Tuscany
Carl March, like all our Watermill painting tutors, always takes his sketchbook with him wherever he goes, especially on his morning walks. He recommends that you do the same when you join him for his week-long course here in July. He has just sent me this lovely watercolour (above), and he says: “I made the pencil sketch below while on a morning walk last month, then used it as a reference for Continue Reading
Vasari and Lippi are waiting just for you
Giorgio Vasari and Filippo Lippi are among the giants of the Renaissance, that extraordinary explosion of culture in Florence in the 15th and 16th centuries, and are waiting just for you at the Watermill. Okay, let’s be clear! All our Watermill bedrooms are named after famous artists and our two suites (self-contained apartments) are called The Vasari Suite and The Lippi Suite. And due to Continue Reading
This is where we won’t be this summer!
Come the summer months, many Italians head for the seaside, il mare, leaving their hot and crowded cities for (slightly less) hot and (slightly more) crowded beaches. Yes, the seaside is packed with serried ranks of umbrellas lined up in military formation. It is, no doubt, great sociable fun, with seaside bars and restaurants, discos and nightclubs. We won’t be there! We will be enjoying Continue Reading
Medical inspiration for Helen’s amazing knitting
I never cease to be amazed at the skill and dexterity of our guests on our knitting weeks as they work away on the projects designed for them by our inspirational tutors. And do you know they often do it without looking! Not only that, they have amazing mathematical skills, able easily to make complicated calculations and to understand complex patterns. The end result is simply stunning. But we Continue Reading
A little Impressionist gossip to prolong your life
Gossip is good for you – and that’s official! Studies in Blue Zones, those areas of the world where there are a higher percentage of centenarians than elsewhere, show that one of the most important factors for longevity is ‘social intercourse,’ that is chatting with family, neighbours, shopkeepers, the postman – in fact, all and sundry. So, in the interests of your health and long life I Continue Reading