The online painting sessions run by the Watermill and its renowned tutors continue to provide inspiration, relaxation and happy conversation as more than 100 guests painted along with us every Thursday. And we’ve an exciting new innovation for you next Tuesday: you choose which subject you are going to paint. This special Watermill online event […]
This time tomorrow this is where you could be, painting under the Tuscan sun
Yes, on the latest Watermill online interactive ‘virtual’ painting week you can spend a couple of hours every day painting in glorious locations in sunny Tuscany Italy. And within a short time of your arrival you will be painting this sunny street scene in Pisa. Then, during the week, you will capture with your brush […]
Are you dressed like an onion in this doggy weather? And watching out for the basins?
In this wintry weather, in the northern hemisphere at least, this blog from 2017, which I unearthed in my clear out, is very apposite today: The picture above was painted en plein air above Florence yesterday by our friend Tom Byrne. He says: “My head is beginning to thaw out. It’s really cold although there’s no snow. […]
Join the online adventure and paint every day for a week under the Tuscan sun –in your own home!
Yes, on the latest Watermill online interactive ‘virtual’ painting week you can spend a couple of hours every day painting in glorious locations in sunny Tuscany Italy. You will capture with your brush the two ladies gossiping in a town square, as in the picture above; visit a market in the wonderful walled town of […]
Why Italian hotels don’t have a Room 17 (or a 17th floor). Mere heptadecaphobia!
Continuing my series of Blogs Revisited, stories from the past unearthed during my recent clear out, I thought it was appropriate to republish this one today, 17 February: Have you ever noticed that Italian hotels never have a 17th floor. (Yes, I know, most of them don’t go that high, but when they do, they […]
An ancient hilltop village, spectacular mountain views – and an Italian washing line! The final venue on our exciting ‘virtual’ online painting week
On the last day of both our ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ painting weeks we visit the village of Monte dei Bianchi, hardly changed through a thousand years of history. There are spectacular views of the towering Alpi Apuane, the marble mountains of Carrara. But what attracted Mike’s attention (as it has done for many of our […]
Let’s paint in Pisa on the first day of our Watermill ‘virtual’ online, interactive week
In normal times most of our painting course guests fly into Pisa, where we pick them up in one of our minibuses and transport them to the mill (with spectacular views of the white marble mountains of Carrara on the way.) So for the first adventure on our next exciting Watermill ‘virtual’ online, interactive painting […]
The Watermill courtyard, at the heart of our painting week
The sunlit Watermill courtyard, surrounded by historical buildings in glowing yellow intonaco and exposed ancient stonework, is at the heart Watermill complex. Around it you will find the elegant dining room and the comfortable sitting room, with its gallery of original pictures. A terrace gives views of the millstream cascades and the river bustling past, […]
How is this for international? A happy comment on Randy Hale’s latest online interactive painting session
More than 180 people, from many countries, took part in the Watermill’s latest online, interactive painting session with the renowned American watercolourist Randy Hale. And as well as separation by geography there was quite a temperature difference too. As one participant said: “Today was a very fun and productive day as I did a 3-hour […]
Heard the news? Mike Willdridge and the Watermill are running a second exciting ‘virtual’ online painting week – and we’re in it!
These two ladies are often to be seen in the main square of the delightful walled mediaeval town of Fivizzano, where, in normal times, we take our painting guests to enjoy the market and capture the scenes with their pencils and brushes. We can’t take you for real at the moment, of course, but you […]