Carl March

Drawing and watercolours en plein air

Carl March, an English painter and printmaker, has studied in Milan and lived in Dubai: a truly international artist! Drawing and design are his passions and he likes to experiment with various drawing mediums, combining them with traditional watercolour painting processes to create distinctively subtle works.

Carl is also a great teacher. He says: “I love the genuine satisfaction in passing on my knowledge to others. Suddenly ‘the penny drops’ and it all makes sense. This surely must be the real reward for any teacher.”

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Grahame Booth

Watercolours

Grahame Booth paints only in watercolour and his success is reflected in the numerous awards he has won over many years. His YouTube channel now has more than 20,000 subscribers. Grahame only started to paint some 30 years ago, and, because he clearly remembers the problems of learning to master watercolours, he is a particularly sympathetic tutor, Painting en plein air, he will show you how to translate the landscape into watercolours full of light, excitement and impact. One previous student said: “Grahame can teach people of all levels and everyone learns and improves. Most importantly it’s always fun.”

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Brienne M Brown

Watercolours

Brienne M Brown, from Pennsylvania in the USA, is passionate about watercolour and plein air painting. She says: “I find beauty in everyday life. Each painting reminds me of where I was, the experiences I had, the sounds, smells, and the people I met … and I enjoy sharing how I see the world.”

Using strong value sketches, bold washes, and quick energetic strokes, Brienne will show you how to bring excitement into your paintings. No experience in watercolour painting is necessary, but some drawing experience is recommended.

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Sandra Strohschein

Watercolours

Sandra Strohschein, from Michigan, USA, has achieved an extraordinary mastery of her medium, transparent watercolours. She works in a fast, loose impressionistic style, but above all, she produces passionate, emotionally charged paintings, full of energy.

As for her teaching, people frequently tell her about how much fun they have on her workshops and how nobody ever wants them to end. A painting guest on her course at the mill said: "Watching your demonstrations was such an education and your kind and patient individual help was invaluable."

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Randy Hale

Watercolours

Randy Hale is an exciting watercolour painter from Colorado in United States. As well as his workshops in the USA, he has taken painting groups all over the world. After a successful business career, he returned to his first love, watercolour painting. (He was taught by James Green, a founder member of the California School of Watercolor.) But his true passion proved to be to be in sharing his knowledge: enjoying the excitement of travel with fellow painters, helping them to create expressive paintings to enrich their experience. One of his students said: “He knows his stuff and he knows how to teach! Best watercolor instructor I have ever had!”

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Vicki Norman

Oils and watercolours (and other mediums)

English painting tutor Vicki Norman specialises in painting on location. She will teach primarily in oils and watercolours, but is happy to help with other mediums, too. Vicki has been teaching professionally for more than 15 years and offers plenty of help and individual attention.

Vicki’s paintings seek to capture the essence of the day and the sense of place through the colour and play of the light. A comment from a previous guest: “An excellent painting and holiday week Vicki was very good as a teacher and an inspiration due to her paintings.”

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Chris Hughes

Watercolours en plein air

Chris Hughes, from the United Kingdom, has been a professional artist for the best part of 40 years and he’s keen to show you the watercolour and drawing techniques that he has developed in that time. He says: “By simplifying the stages of producing a painting, I will encourage you to develop your own style and create your very best work.”

Both beginners and experienced painters will benefit from Chris’s course, through watching demonstrations and by painting together. Chris says: “I believe in a laid-back, non-pressurised approach -- and being in the beautiful Tuscan countryside will make the creative experience even better.”

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Mark Warner

Colourful Acrylics, Drawing, Pen & Wash

Mark Warner, from Shropshire, England, is not only a respected artist, but also a highly professional tutor with many years of teaching experience. Mark leads by example, creating a relaxed and encouraging environment. Mark loves working outside, experimenting with colour, light and line: “I work directly in the field (literally on many occasions!) and from sketches created outside as well as notes/photographs taken on location.”

Sketching is at the heart of Mark’s work: “This is important in the development of a piece and often forms an integral part of the painting itself.”

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Terry Jarvis

Watercolours (& oils, pastels and acrylics)

Terry Jarvis is one of Australia’s leading watercolour artists. The son of a goldminer, he was inspired at an early age to draw and paint the landscape, as well as people and animals. Terry also works in oils, pastels and acrylics and is happy to teach in those mediums too. He loves drawing and helping his students to develop their skills.

A comment from a guest on Terry’s previous course here: “Terry Jarvis was superb with people, very positive and very relaxed. I’ve been on painting holidays before and learned nothing, but Terry was great.”

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Mike Willdridge

Watercolour and drawing (also gouache and acrylics)

Mike Willdridge works and in a wide range of media and is an enthusiastic and energetic tutor, often encouraging his students to be bold and to take chances. His classes are always light-hearted and fun, with the ‘teaching’ tailored to individual needs. He will concentrate on watercolours, but is also happy to help with gouache and acrylics too.

Mike constantly uses a sketchbook and will encourage you to do the same. A comment from a previous guest: “A wonderful holiday... you were generous and friendly hosts and Mike was an excellent painting tutor.”

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Rebecca de Mendonça

Pastels and Mixed media

Rebecca will demonstrate how to capture the architecture and landscape of the beautiful Watermill venues with a combination of materials. Soft pastels, pen and ink, Conte crayons and pastel pencils will be used separately and in combination to achieve lively sketches and finished pieces.

She will show how we can vary our materials to suit the subject matter that we are observing and the size of our work.

From landscape and water, to figures and architecture, Rebecca will give informative instruction and demonstrations, showing how she draws and paints with life and atmosphere.

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Maggie Renner Hellmann

‘Courageous Color Workshop’ in oils, acrylics, watercolours and pastels

Maggie Renner Hellmann, from California, USA, paints with love, passion and energy. Her work is characterized by a unique blend of loose, energetic brushwork and strong compositions of exuberant colour.

Her workshop will cover oils, acrylics, pastels and drawing, sketching mediums including wax pastels and watercolour. Maggie says: “In this plein air workshop, we will paint in various spectacular Tuscan locations. Our emphasis will be on learning and practicing the core elements of successful paintings.” A comment on Maggie’s last course here: “Excellent accommodation, first class cuisine, wonderful company and outstanding art tuition.”

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Mary Padgett

Pastels (and other portable media) en plein air

Mary Padgett is a passionate pastellist from Syracuse, New York, USA. She is also happy to teach in other portable media. She is noted for her use of colour and for her enthusiasm for painting on location. She says: “There is no better way to visit Italy than as a plein air artist! We’ll focus on observation with all our senses; looking, listening, and smelling the unique character of the Tuscan landscape to create drawings and paintings from the experience. Her students love her teaching. As one of them says: “Your gentle nudges have given us all better way of seeing.”

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Milind Mulick

‘Colourful watercolours’

Milind Mulick is a watercolour artist from Pune in India, famous in his own country and, increasingly, worldwide, for his atmospheric watercolours. He’s been painting in watercolours for more than 30 years, his artistic journey beginning in childhood following his father, also a painter. As well as being influenced by British watercolourists, Milind has absorbed the styles of Indian artists too.

Miland has been teaching for many years: “Teaching gives me great pleasure: I love meeting new people and helping them realise their artistic potential.” A student says: “Milind is a great watercolour painter. He is also a very good art teacher!”

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Tim Wilmot

Watercolours

Tim Wilmot is an artist from Bristol in the UK, specialising in watercolours, exploiting the medium with tone and light. He particularly likes painting landscapes in a loose or impressionistic style.

Tim is also an inspiring teacher. His course is suitable for all levels, and he’ll help you to improve your drawing skills, loosen up your style, learn how to incorporate figures in a landscape, as well as nurturing you own artistic ambitions. One of last year’s guests said: “Unrivalled hospitality and total good fun. I love Tim Wilmot’s style.”

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Louisa Harding

Knitting and La Bella Vita

We are delighted to introduce Louisa Harding, the celebrated cashmere knitter and yarn producer, to the Watermill knitting team. Louisa has recently established a new brand, called Yarntelier, combining the finest yarns from the English county of Yorkshire with beautiful designs, to make each item a piece of hand-crafted couture. She is now beginning to plan the projects she will bring for our knitters during her week and is talking of a cashmere shawl where you can draw on designs in the Tuscan countryside and incorporate them in your knitting; and another, smaller project, involving beading using a crochet hook. As ever your knitting week at the Watermill will combine expert tuition, like-minded company, wonderful food and the delightful ambience of the Watermill, it's gardens and riverside walks, and outings into the surrounding unspoiled Tuscan countryside of Lunigiana.

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Knitting retreat

Knitting and La Bella Vita

Many of our knitting guests at the Watermill have asked is whether it would be possible to run a knitting retreat here, in which there would be no tutor, but rather individual knitters would bring their own projects and enjoy convivial like-minded company in the peaceful ambience of the Watermill, as well as our usual offering of wonderful food and outings into the surrounding unspoiled Tuscan countryside of Lunigiana. So, by popular demand, we are doing just that. A number of people have already put their names down, so if you're keen please let us know as soon as you can. Since there is no official tutor, we are offering a special blanket discount of £200 per person, in addition to the special offer of your 2020 week at 2019 prices if you pay your deposit before 1 September this year

Our knitting holidays fill very quickly so, if you are interested in joining us, please do let us know as soon as possible.

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Langues Services and Francesca La Sala

Italian Language

This exciting language course is suitable for all levels of ability, because of the special approach of the Langues Services language school in Florence. Its philosophy and method are inspired by the work of Professor Bertrand Schwartz of Paris University, the educationalist who overturned the concept of teaching to adults, proposing an approach that develops not only theoretical knowledge but practical know-how as well. Your tutor Francesca La Sala loves meeting people of all ages and cultures. She is also a nature lover and a cognoscente of Lunigiana, the land of her forefathers surrounding the Watermill.

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran

Scriptwriting

We are delighted to welcome back those giants of comedy and drama scriptwriting Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran for a very special week next May. We know them as entertaining and inspiring friends, but the British Comedy Society describes them as ‘living legends!’

’Laurence and Maurice are famous for such TV hits as Birds of a Feather, Goodnight Sweetheart, The New Statesman and Shine on Harvey Moon. And in a new incarnation, they’ve written hit stage musicals, such as Dreamboats and Petticoats and Save the Last Dance for Me, as well as film scripts and award-winning stage, TV and radio plays. And it’s not just comedy: Marks and Gran are producing serious dramatic works as well. They are currently engaged in writing a series, with Michael Dobbs, (the creator of House of Cards) on Winston Churchill’s secret and mysterious wartime valet!

This unique course will give you insights into writing comedy and drama for TV, stage and screen and it will help you to craft your work from original idea to final script.

Laurence and Maurice promise that you will leave the Watermill a considerably better writer than when you arrive. While the course will focus on script writing, the insights into structure, plotting, characterisation, dialogue etc. are applicable to any genre.

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices

Jo Parfitt

Write the stories of your life

Jo, a highly experienced writer and teacher, will give you the tools to write the stories of your life in a vivid and engaging way. She'll explain how to find your writer’s ‘voice’, about writing in themes; developing your characters so your readers can 'meet' them, too; and how to let your writing flow, particularly when looking back and writing about things that may have happened a long time ago. Among other things, you'll discover the secret of SPICE, the seven steps to writing life stories and put this into practice right away. There'll also be lots of time for writing exercises and feedback.

*Book now to come on this 2020 course at 2019 prices