Don’t they look bright and cheerful? It has been a freezing week and the flowers and plants in the Watermill gardens and grounds are quite rightly waiting for more signs of spring until they burst forth. So these bright red berries of the nandina* bush add a much-needed splash of colour. We have three or […]
The Ghirlandaio bedroom:Modern comforts in a beautifully restored 17th century watermill
Our tour of Watermill bedrooms continues today with the Ghirlandaio. Here’s Lois’ video to tell you about it In the video, Lois mentions Domenico Ghirlandaio’s beautiful cycle of frescoes on the life of St Francis in the Sassetti Chapel of the Santa Trinità church in Florence. It’s a great place to see great art without […]
Come and pastel passionately with Padgett!
Mary Padgett, a passionate pastellist* from Syracuse, New York, USA, came to the Watermill for the first time last summer – and we all had an amazing time. After her return to the USA she wrote: “If you have ever wanted to come on one of my European trips, next year is the year to do […]
What is the point of George’s Sunday afternoon in the park?
Today I’m continuing my musings on great paintings, part of my contribution to the artistic ethos of the Watermill. The iconic picture above, George Seurat’s Un dimanche après-midi à l’ÃŽle de la Grande Jatte, is, I suppose, the prime example of pointillisme, the painting style which attempted systematically to apply optical science to art, making […]
The special holidays of Non-Participating Partners
While his wife Alison was painting with Grahame Booth yesterday, Greg Cokorinos enjoyed a breath-taking walk, taking in three villages of the beautiful Cinque Terre, with magnificent views over the Mediterranean… The day before both of them had gone to the quintessential Italian city of Lucca on the Watermill’s Wednesday excursion.… A couple of weeks […]
Mike’s ‘silly’ photograph of his painting group reminds us of fun and friendship
It is worthwhile being an Early Bird. See below. Continuing the tradition of taking a ‘silly’ photograph at the end of his painting weeks with us, Mike Willdridge has just sent us this fun picture of the group that was with us a week or so ago. He says: “As I write (now back in Poundbury […]
A very special time to see Florence
Why not combine a few days in Florence with a visit to the Watermill? See https://watermill.net/ for more about our inspiring courses.
100 castles, two natural parks, warm hospitality – waiting for you!
Another discovery when tidying up my old blogs. This one is as true today as it was when I first wrote it a couple of years ago. Now all this coronavirus kerfuffle is clearing away, we are working on our ‘great reawakening’ and hoping to be able to welcome guests again in a few months’ […]
A stationary stone gathers moss
I never thought it would be possible to have a favourite stone, but this one is mine. We encounter it every day when we go for a walk along the millstream and through the bamboo forest beside the river. The stone stands beside the path just above the boca, the archway which marks the beginning […]
An even more compelling reason to visit the Watermill: Uffizi Gallery paintings are coming to the nearby town of Fivizzano (we hope!)
The Mayor of Fivizzano, the walled mediaeval town near the Watermill, where we go for an introductory dinner in the main square the first Saturday of our creative courses and to visit the weekly market on Tuesdays, has written to the director of the world-famous Uffizi gallery in Florence, saying “we are ready when you […]