Watermill Blog

Information and news about our creative centre in Tuscany Italy

Pamme’s Venetian café painting selected for top California art show

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Congratulations to Watermill painting tutor Pamme Turner, who has just had her painting St. Elena Café, Venezia selected by juror Joseph Zbukvic for the prestigious 7th Annual Open Plein Air Exhibition/San Diego Watercolor Society.

Come and learn more about the secrets of the plein air watercolour success on Pamme’s course with us next year, from Saturday 21 August to Saturday, 28 August 2024.

Pamme Turner
24 – 31 August 2024
Capturing the moment in watercolours and gouache
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page

Don’t forget that you will be Cool and Green at the Watermill: all our bedrooms and public rooms are air-conditioned, powered by our hidden array of photovoltaic cells, which make us self-sufficient in electricity.

And don’t forget our Watermill Early Bird offer: There’s £75 (English pounds) off all our 2024 creative if you reserve your place this year.

If you want to enjoy inspiring teaching, warm hospitality, a beautiful setting, spectacular locations, delicious food and wine and the convivial company of like-minded people AND an Early Bird discount now is the time to reserve your place. The Early Bird offer expires at the end of the year.

Pamme sketch and picture of the Watermill courtyard

Words for the painters, pictures for the writers

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It is well known that I am a sucker for what you might call ‘illustrated handouts’ or ‘annotated sketches’ made by our painting tutors to help their students understand more about the art and craft of drawing and painting. These delightful artefacts remind me of illustrated travel journals in which not only are there sketches of the sights seen, but also notes about time, place, history, emotions aroused and so on.

We’ve even had a few of these illustrated handouts framed and displayed, like this one from painting tutor Pamme Turner.

I was talking about this with our writing tutor Jo Parfitt, saying what a pity it was that we didn’t have something similar from her Writing Your Life Stories course. So, I was delighted to receive an email from Jo recently, saying: “I didn’t ignore you! One of the guests on my writing course, Jennifer Horn, has made it for you. As a student on one of your painting courses as well a mine, she has mixed the two media together.” That’s the marvellous result at the top.

Come and see for yourself. There are full details of all our creative courses – painting, writing, knitting and Italian language – on our new updated website, which you can see by clicking here. (We only have a few spaces left on Jo’s Writing Your Life Stories course in September 2024.)

Just click here to see this page

And don’t forget our Watermill Early Bird offer: There’s £75 (English pounds) off all our 2024 creative if you reserve your place this year.

If you want to enjoy inspiring teaching, warm hospitality, a beautiful setting, spectacular locations, delicious food and wine and the convivial company of like-minded people AND an Early Bird discount now is the time to reserve your place. The Early Bird offer expires at the end of the year.

Inspiration and anticipation in this month’s Watermill newsletter

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To read this month’s newsletter, just click here.

Details of our fabulous 2024 creative courses and their inspiring tutors feature in this month’s Watermill newsletter – as well as our special Early Bird discount offer. To say nothing of poetry and young saxophonists playing a sublime operatic melody. How’s that for eclectic? Indulge your senses and anticipate convivial creativity on a Watermill week. Just click here for more.

Have you heard the news? There is a special Early Bird offer of £75 (English pounds) off all the Watermill’s 2024 creative courses – painting, writing, knitting and Italian language – if you reserve your place before the end of this year.

If you want to enjoy inspiring teaching, warm hospitality, a beautiful setting, spectacular locations, delicious food and wine and the convivial company of like-minded people AND an Early Bird discount don’t delay, just get that booking in. Already more than 170 people have signed up for next year’s creative courses.

Early birds and poems 3: The bird of time has but a little way to fly…

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Photo: Easy Way (A Blog For Children): BIRD OF TIME ( Poem) (easyway1234.blogspot.com)

In celebration of the launch of the Watermill’s Early Bird Offer on all our 2024 creative courses I’m posting a few poems about birds this week. Today the poet is Omar Khayyam, an 11th Century Persian polymath (mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, poet). His book of quatrains (rubaiyat) muses on life and its meaning, as well as on the sheer joy of living. An English translation in 1859 by Edward Fitzgerald proved a great success and its popularity lasted well into the 20th Century. The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam was my mother’s favourite book and from an early age I could quote great chunks of it by heart.

Omar Khayyam in serious mode

Today’s quatrain perfectly expresses my view of how life should be lived:

Come, fill the Cup, and in the Fire of Spring
The Winter Garment of Repentance fling:
     The Bird of Time has but a little way
To fly — and Lo! the Bird is on the Wing

I’m sure you have little or nothing to repent, but the bird of time is on the wing and our Watermill Early Bird offer will only last until the end of 2023. There’s £75 (English pounds) off all our 2024 creative courses – painting, writing, knitting and Italian language – if you reserve your place this year.

If you want to enjoy inspiring teaching, warm hospitality, a beautiful setting, spectacular locations, delicious food and wine, the convivial company of like-minded people AND an Early Bird discount, cast off your inhibitions and make that booking. You’ll only regret it if you don’t!

To paraphrase old Omar: Awake! For morning in the bowl of night has flung the stone that puts the stars to flight. And lo! The Hunter of the East has caught the mill’s walled garden in a noose of light.

More about everything on the Watermill website.

Early birds and poems 2: All the birds of  Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire…

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Photo: Interesting Literature

In celebration of the launch of the Watermill’s Early Bird Offer on all our 2024 creative courses, I’m posting a few poems about birds this week. I promised you something a little more culturally refined today, after yesterday’s Brooklyn doggerel of ‘Toity poiple boids.’ (Click here.)

And what could be more lyrical than Edward Thomas’ poem Adlestrop, an understated evocation of the English countryside in an age of innocence?

It captures a brief moment in the day of 24 June 1914, when a steam train unexpectedly stopped in the tiny station of the village of Adlestrop in the Cotswolds, in the heart of England. It was written before the First World War, which changed the world forever, in which millions of people died, including the author, who was killed in 1917, before the poem was published.

This is not the place to dwell on that, nor indulge in literary criticism (there is a very good analysis of the poem in Interesting Literature online), but to let the words speak for themselves. I, and many other people, particularly love the last four lines..

Yes. I remember Adlestrop—

The name, because one afternoon

Of heat the express-train drew up there

Unwontedly. It was late June.

The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.

No one left and no one came

On the bare platform. What I saw

Was Adlestrop—only the name

And willows, willow-herb, and grass,

And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry,

No whit less still and lonely fair

Than the high cloudlets in the sky.

And for that minute a blackbird sang

Close by, and round him, mistier,

Farther and farther, all the birds

Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

Wonderful evocative writing. It almost made me forget to remind you that we have just launched our special Early Bird offer of £75 (English pounds) off all our 2024 creative courses – painting, writing, knitting and Italian language – if you reserve your place before the end of this year.

If you want to enjoy inspiring teaching, warm hospitality, a beautiful setting, spectacular locations, delicious food and wine and the convivial company of like-minded people AND an Early Bird discount don’t delay, just get that booking in. Already more than 170 people have signed up for next year’s creative courses.

A misty spring early morning in the walled garden

And early on Spring and Summer mornings at the Watermill you can hear a blackbird sing close by, and round him, mistier, farther and farther, all the birds of Lunigiana and Garfagnana

You can find details of the of all our Watermill activities on our website at https://watermill.net/.

Poems and Early Birds (today poiple ones!)

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Picture: Redbubble Toity Poiple Boids by Vicky Mount

We have just launched our special Early Bird offer of £75 (English pounds) off all our 2024 creative courses – painting, writing, knitting and Italian language – if you reserve your place before the end of this year.

For some reason it got me thinking about birds and poetry – and that it  might be fun to have a poem about birds each day for a few days to publicise our special deal. I promise you some lovely (and short) poems in the next few days, but I thought I would start with something a little less lyrical. It begins:

Toity poiple boids, sittin’ on da koib,

A’ choiping and a’ boiping

And eating doity woims…

Goodness knows where that came from: I suppose from that prolific poet Anonymous. It is meant to be recited in a thick Brooklyn, New York, accent.

There are many versions. This one, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their album from 1985:
Thirty dirty birds
Sitting on a curb,
Chirping and burping
And eating dirty earthworms.
Along comes Herbie
From thirty third and third,
Saw the thirty dirty birds
Sitting on the curb
Chirping and burping
And eating dirty earthworms,
Oye, was he disturbed.

Something more culturally refined tomorrow, I promise, but it does prompt me to remind you that now is the time to get your booking in for our 2024 creative courses, which are filling fast. You can find details of the of all our Watermill activities on our website at https://watermill.net/.

If you want to enjoy inspiring teaching, warm hospitality, a beautiful setting, spectacular locations, delicious food and wine, the convivial company of like-minded people AND an Early Bird discount don’t delay, just get that booking in. Already more than 170 people have signed up for next year’s creative courses, so it really is ‘Book Now to Avoid Disappointment!

And the food is out of this world: not a doity woim to be seen!

The Watermill website landing page website. Just click here.

 

And so, farewell – to Mary Padgett and a convivial creative group of painters

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We have just enjoyed another fun-filled, inspiring week with the passionate pastellist Mary Padgett (who also taught in watercolours and acrylics) and an enthusiastic group of painters, from the USA and Australia. They Enjoyed unleashing their creativity, as well as convivial conversations at the Watermill and on location.

As ever, Gina Shearston captured the atmosphere of the farewell exhibition in the short video above.

A message from Mike and Sue, on their way to Mike’s Watermill painting course

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Mike and Sue Willdridge are on a road trip (in a small camper van) through France and Italy, heading towards the Watermill for his painting course here, starting on 9 September.

He sent this sketch ,and a message, to all the participants on his course:

“All the leaves are falling and the sky is …..”

Fields of dying sunflowers suggest we’re nearing the end of Summer. We’re both very much looking forward to a warm and creative painting week and wish all our travelling friends a very safe journey.

Time has nearly run out on our ‘next year’s creative courses at this year’s prices’ special deal. Offer ends tomorrow

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Our surprising saxophonists play one of the most sublime pieces of Italian music

There is something new and exciting almost every day during a Watermill creative course, Whether it is freshly made hors d’ouvres from one of our cooks (like Parmesan lollipops or puff pastry anchovy twists) to tempt your palette at aperitivi time, young Harry playing the Spanish guitar beneath the rose pergola, or a surprise ‘happening’ like the sudden appearance of eight saxophonists coming together from garden, terrace and balcony to amaze and entertain us. (Click here to see more.) That’s them above playing Piero Mascagni’s sublime Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana.

Come and be surprised on the Watermill creative course next year and also be surprised and delighted the generous discount we are offering if you book TODAY.

If you reserve your place midnight tonight (31 August), you can enjoy any one of our painting, writing, knitting or Italian language courses in 2024 and only pay 2023 prices. You will save of the order of £ (GBP) 140. But you had better get your skates on, today is the last day of the offer.

Inspiring teaching, warm hospitality, a beautiful setting, spectacular locations, wonderful food and wine, the convivial company of like-minded people AND a generous discount, to tempt you to come to find out just what all the fuss about Watermill creative courses is about..

Go on! Surprise yourself by reserving your place on one of the icreative courses below.

And just think how much warm anticipation you can enjoy, looking forward to the convivial symbiosis between fellow students, inspiring tutors and the Watermill’s caring team.

Many of the 21 international tutors next year are old friends, who love returning to the Watermill, plus a handful of exciting new tutors, whose courses, we are sure, will be a great success.

There are details of all the 2024 courses below. (In separate sections for painting, knitting, writing and Italian language) … and don’t forget: if you book one of next year’s courses NOW, you will be able to enjoy it at 2023 prices. This offer will end on 31 August 2023.

Our exhilarating 2024 painting courses.

Carl March
20 – 27 April 2024
Drawing and watercolours en plein air
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page.

Maggie Renner Hellman
25 May – 1 June 2024
‘Colourful & expressive oil & watercolour’
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page.

Randy Hale
8 – 15 June 2024
Watercolours
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page.

Keiko Tanabe
15 – 22 June 2024
Watercolours
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page.

Michael Solovyev
22 – 29 June 2024
‘Atmospheric Landscape in Watercolour‘
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page.

Paul Talbot-Greaves
29 June – 6 July 2024
Watercolours
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page.

Yong Chen
6 – 13 July 2024
Watercolours
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page.

Sue Ford
13 – 20 July 2024
Watercolours, pastels, collage, mixed media plus acrylic
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page.

Andrew Hucklesby
17 – 24 August 2024
Capturing the moment in watercolour
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page

Pamme Turner
24 – 31 August 2024
Capturing the moment in watercolours and gouache
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page

Mike Willdridge
7 – 14 September 2024
Watercolour and drawing (also gouache and acrylics)
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page

Rebecca de Mendonça
14 – 21 September 2024
Pastels
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page

Tim Wilmot
28 September – 5 October 2024 
Watercolours
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page

Grahame Booth
5 – 12 October 2024 
Watercolours
To learn more, please visit our 2024 Courses Preview page

Looking forward to knitting in 2024

These are the convivial la Bella Vita knitting courses we are offering you NEXT year (2024).

Susan Crawford 
27 April – 4 May 2024
Knitting and La Bella Vita
To learn more about Susan and her course at the mill, please visit the 2024 Preview page.

Norah Gaughan
4 – 11 May 2024
Knitting and La Bella Vita
To learn more about Norah and her course at the mill, please visit the 2024 Preview page.

The Watermill at Posara for painting, creative writing, knitting, and Italian language holidays/vacations/workshops, Tuscany, Italy.

Louisa Harding
11 – 18 May 2024
Knitting and La Bella Vita
To learn more about Louisa and her course at the mill, please visit the 2024 Preview page.

Debbie Abrahams
18 – 25 May 2024
Knitting and La Bella Vita
To learn more about Debbie and her course at the mill, please visit the 2024 Preview page.

Sylvia Watts-Cherry **NEW WATERMILL TUTOR**
1 – 8 June 2024
Knitting and La Bella Vita
To learn more about Sylvia and her course at the mill, please visit the 2024 preview page.

Join us in 2024 to write the stories of your life.

Jo Parfitt
21 – 28 September 2024
Write your life stories
To learn more about Jo and her course at the mill, please visit the 2024 preview page.

Soak up Italian with us in 2024.

Giulia Balestri
12 – 19 October 2023
A novel approach to learning Italian 
To learn more about our unique Italian language week, please visit the 2024 preview page.

A warm welcome from Lois with a smile and sunflowers

A wonderful gift from tutor and friend, Randy Hale, which now graces our coffee table

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Lois Breckon took the pictures, Gina Shearston edited the video

We have just received a charming and thoughtful gift from Watermill tutor, and now old friend, Randy Hale. It is a small book of some of his paintings made at the Watermill or during his online sessions with us. Lovely pictures, I’m sure you would agree.

In his dedication, Randy says: “In appreciation of all that Lois and Bill have done over the years – creating the gem that is the Watermill and forging enduring friendships among artists throughout the world – I offer the small token of my thanks. Your painting buddy, Randy Hale. May our brushes always flow.”

We are touched and honoured. Randy’s book is now in pride of place on the sitting room coffee table for everyone to enjoy. Why not come and see it for yourself on one of our world-renowned creative courses – painting, writing, knitting and Italian language? There is a special deal (which ends tomorrow at midnight) in which you can enjoy a 2024 creative course at 2023 prices if you book before 1 September . Find out more by clicking here.

Randy’s luminous watercolour of the Watermill sparkling after a rain shower.