The charming little watercolour above, sent to me by Watermill painting tutor Randy Hale, brought back memories of the peaceful Thursdays when our painting (and knitting, writing and Italian language) location is a peaceful 16th Century monastery called Il Convento del Carmine, a little beyond and above the nearby town of Fivizzano, with views over the town and the surrounding hills. The Continue Reading
Be inspired by the beauty (and strangeness?) of the Tuscan countryside with Mark
Continuing the introductions of our new tutors for 2023 we're delighted to welcome Mark Dober to the Watermill team. Mark, from Victoria, South-east Australia, loves to make paintings and drawings in the landscape. He says: “The beauty of nature inspires me, but also a sense of its strangeness. My work expresses both belonging and otherness. I seek to convey immediacy and a sense of the Continue Reading
Will you choose a saintly painter or the inventor of the History of Art for your pastel painting week with Rebecca at the Watermill?
We have we have two rooms left on Rebecca de Mendonça’s pastel week at the end of this month. One is the Fra Angelico, named after the saintly monk who was, among other things, responsible for the wonderful paintings in the Monastery of San Marco in Florence; the other is the Vasari suite, celebrating the Renaissance polymath Giorgio Vasari: artist, architect, town planner and author of the Continue Reading
Look more closely, try different techniques and colours – and be bolder. Paint along with James Willis at the Watermill next year.
We are delighted to welcome six new exciting and inspiring painting tutors to the Watermill creative team next year and I’d like to introduce you to them one by one in the next week or so. First up is James Willis, an English artist who has a particular love for architecture and historic buildings and the effects of light, shade and colour. He works mainly in oils and watercolours and his Continue Reading
Dream a little dream with us: details of all our 2023 creative courses are now up on the Watermill website. And there is a discount bonus!
Yes, it is a rollcall of delight: details of all our international Watermill creative tutors – painting, writing, knitting and Italian language – are now up on the 2023 Watermill website. You will find trusted tutors who are returning having had amazing feedback for their inspirational teaching in previous years, together with a group of exciting new tutors from all over the world. You can read Continue Reading
How to make paintings that win prizes
What makes a good painting? That was a question asked by Watermill tutor Randy Hale in his latest newsletter. Paintings like Randy’s the Hay Barn above, which just won first place in the Colorado Watercolor Society’s State exhibition. The juror, incidentally, was another Watermill tutor, Keiko Tanabe. Randy says that when doing a critique of a painting, or selecting one to submit to a show, Continue Reading
The memories linger on, continued (again)
Hard on the heels of yesterday’s paintings sent in by Bill Fields, a guest on Pamme Turner’s painting course earlier this month, come a few more paintings, sent to me by Pamme herself, made during the week by other course participants, reinforcing my contention that the delights of a Watermill creative course linger on and on. Dotted about here are just a few of the vibrant sketches Continue Reading
The memories linger on (continued)
We are always delighted when participants on our painting courses, on returning home, send us some of the paintings that they have been working on since their return from Posara. It just shows that the memories of their week linger on. So, our thanks to Dr Bill Fields , who was on Pamme Turner's course in July, for sharing with us some of his work as a reminder that you, too, could enjoy inspiring Continue Reading
The Watermill is on holiday, so you might just find us in the garden. We’d love you to join us here later in the year
The Watermill is taking its annual break until 20 August and when the friendly participants on our first tranche of creative courses have asked us where we will be spending our holiday, we’ve generally pointed to the walled garden, or the vine verandah, or the riverside terrace, or the millstream... Other people may enjoy crowded beaches and bustling historical sites, but we like to holiday at Continue Reading
Here is another Watermill creative course innovation: homework. Relax – it’s fun!
Yes, tutor Pamme Turner has come up with another innovation for Watermill painting courses. Following her week here earlier this month, Pamme is suggesting that her students do some post-course homework. Relax! It is not obligatory. It will be great fun. And, we hope, it will bring back memories of our course participants’ time with us. Pamme says: “This assignment is only for fun. From Continue Reading