I am still looking, and failing, to find the perfect picture to sum up the ambience of a Watermill creative week: inspiring teaching, warm hospitality, wonderful surroundings, delicious food and wine, and the convivial company of like-minded people. I have always loved the picture above of one of our painting guests jumping for joy during […]
Time to grab one of the remaining places on our 2022 creative courses
I’ve been trying this morning, and failing, to find one picture that sums up the ambience of the creative courses that we run at the Watermill: painting, creative writing, knitting and Italian language. One picture may be worth a thousand words, but can it sum up the inspiring teaching, beautiful setting, warm hospitality, delicious food […]
Sue’s Salami Boys: steps on a writing journey
We are always delighted when guests on our Watermill courses go on to blossom creatively, helped by what they have learned from our inspiring tutors during their time with us. So it was great to have feedback from Sue Reed, who was with us for Jo Parfitt‘s last Writing Your Life Stories course*. She told […]
Happy memories of our last painting course of the year
We always like to hear from people when they return home from our creative weeks, telling us how the memories of their time with us linger on. So, it was a pleasure see the photograph above, from Lindsay Friedlander, one of our guests on Grahame Booth’s painting course at the end of last month. Here’s […]
The Watermill November 2021 newsletter is just out…
…with heartfelt thanks to the guests who made our 2021 creative season such a success, despite you-know-what! Among the other stories: What sort of activities do non-participating partners get up to? A Top Tip for Patrons (and others) on how to make your paintings more dramatic Details of, and links to, all of our 2022 […]
The Watermill is playing its (tiny) part in fighting climate change
 As international leaders meet to discuss the eleventh-hour action to save the planet at the Glasgow climate change conference, I thought it was appropriate to tell you about how we are working hard at the Watermill to play our part, albeit a tiny one. We can keep you Cool and Green at the same time. […]
Our most energetic non-painting partner to date
We call them NPPs, Non-Participating Partners, spouses or friends who come with the guests on our creative courses, but do not participate in the painting, writing, knitting or Italian language sessions during the week. We have plenty of optional alternatives for them, including trips and tennis, walks and vineyard visits, marble quarries and enigmatic statues, […]
Having fun with a international group of painting guests
We enjoyed yesterday with a truly international painting group, tutored by watercolourist Grahame Booth from Northern Ireland: five Americans, a Brit, a Canadian, and Irish and an Italian. Two were non-painting partners, but above are the seven painters enjoying the sunshine, intent on Grahame’s words of wisdom. And here’s a scene he was describing and […]
Be inspired to write the stories of your life with Jo
Jo Parfitt’s watchword is ‘Sharing what I know to help others to grow’ and that is certainly what she does on her renowned Writing Your Life Stories week at the Watermill. It is the perfect first step for any writer wanting to develop the skills and confidence necessary to move into writing memoir, non-fiction, articles […]
Free at last! Ali’s painting group celebrates in glorious Italy
Here are members of Ali Hargreaves’ painting group on the steps of the great castle at Verrucola, near the Watermill, celebrating, at last, their escape from the bureaucratic grip of Covid, and enjoying the inspiring freedom of a Watermill creative course. Thank you for coming, guys: it is great having you here and to be […]