Whatever your thoughts on global warming, whether it’s just ‘weather’ or an existential threat to humankind, there’s no denying it’s been rather hot in much of Europe during the last two or three weeks. “Scorcio,†as they used to say in the mock weather forecasts on that brilliant TV comedy programme The Fast Show. And […]
A horse and carriage ride in Lucca, organised by two enterprising Watermill painting course guests
In the main squares of the beautiful city of Lucca, one of the destinations on our Wednesday excursions during our creative course weeks, no lonely cab horse steams and stamps, but occasionally you will see an open horse-drawn carriage clip-clopping through the historic streets. We never knew where they came from until last Wednesday when […]
It’s not just the painters who produce works of art…
This flower arrangement in the centre of our communal dining room was made by our social media factotum Gina Shearston, who also took the photograph. The Watermill team are nothing if not versatile!
Vegetarian snakes or nature as art?
Fawzia Rahman, who took this picture, calls them ‘vegetarian snakes.’ I think they are more like the sinuous natural curves that inspired art nouveau. Fawzia, a guest on Randy Hale’s painting course, took this picture on her afternoon walk along the millstream and riverside yesterday. The sinuous ‘snakes’ are, in fact, decayed tentacles of ivy […]
The end of two lovely creative knitting weeks with Georgia Farrell. Now to get down to some plein air painting!
We have just finished two back-to-back knitting weeks with our lovely new tutor Georgia Farrell. It was a great atmosphere on both weeks and our guests particularly seemed to enjoy being pulled out of their comfort zone by Georgia’s ‘knitted collage’ project, in which they clipped out architectural designs and shapes from magazines to make […]
Two stunning new pictures from Watermill tutors Tim and Grahame
I have been putting together new Tutor Profiles ready for the Watermill website’s update later this year, and in the process, our tutors have been sending me some stunning new pictures. Among them, Tim Wilmot and Grahame Booth, whose courses this autumn are both fully booked. If you want to enjoy a week with these […]
Mediaeval architecture and modern sculpture
Sonia Lovett, a guest on this week’s Watermill knitting week with Georgia Farrell, took this peaceful photograph of the arch of the lower gateway ( Porta di Sotto) of the walled mediaeval town of Fivizzano, where we visit the weekly local market . Beyond you can see entrries in a marble-carving competition. (The Apuan Alps, […]
Randy reveals the secrets of success in his third simple plein air painting tip
Now the weather is turning Spring-like, in the Northern Hemisphere at least, our passionate plein air painting tutor Randy Hale has drawn up a a series of short and simple tips to help you when you venture out to paint in the fresh air again. Here’s Randy with Tip number 3, where he reveals the secrets of […]
Irresistible Watermill flowers to photograph
Spring is doing its thing in the Watermill gardens and grounds – birds singing lustily, trees leafing rapidly and flowers blooming everywhere – and it is providing irresistible subjects for photographers. Watermill guest Tina Rose and our social media factotum Gina Shearston have been among them, to say nothing of our gardener himself, Flavio Terenzoni. […]
Our turquoise Facebook cover picture, thanks to Ali’s artistic vision
Our thanks to Watermill painting tutor Ali Hargreaves for this month’s colourful cover picture on the Watermill’s Facebook page. Isn’t the River Rosaro, which bustles past the mill, a glorious shade of turquoise, a vibrant colour to brighten our day? No matter that, after strong rainstorm churned up the mud, to make the river look […]