Archives for November 2016

We are delighted to welcome another sensational watercolourist to the Watermill team. He is Tim Wilmot, from Bristol in the South-west of England and he will be joining us for a week-long course in watercolours next October. More details below – and don’t forget our Early Bird special discount offer: if you book for Tim’s course before 31 December this year, there’s £GBP 75 off Tim’s fabulous 2017 painting holiday.

Tim specialises in watercolours, exploiting the medium with tone and light in a loose impressionistic style. He says: “I seem to have an affinity with painting landscapes, although I have dabbled with portraits and still life in the past, but always come back to landscapes.” His vibrant picture above is of the City Gate in Ancona, Italy. Here’s another lovely watercolour, Two houses in Provence.

Tim says: “For many years I’ve taken a sketchbook on my travels and I quickly scribble scenes in a shorthand sort of way. Then, returning home, I recreate those memories with paint and brush. Watercolour is also an ideal medium for capturing those quick impressions.” 

As well as an exciting artist, Tim is also an inspiring teacher and on his course, suitable for all levels, 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. As one student of Tim’s says: “I can’t help being inspired by the careful and wonderfully measured strokes of a genius.”

7-14 October 2017 Watercolours

with Tim Wilmot

To learn more about Tim and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

Come and join us  — and enjoy the magic of the mill! (And enjoy the Early Bird discount.)

 

As we were saying earlier this week, our Watermill painting tutors seem to be engrossed with snow scenes at the moment. And above there’s another sensational wintery picture, this time an oil painting by Sarah Spencer.

It’s on show at the Winter Exhibition at the Russell Gallery in London, which has just started and which will run until 21st January 2017. Pop in and see it if you can.

Or even better, come and meet the artist and paint summery scenes with her when she returns to The Watermill for a week-long course in oils, acrylics and drawing mediums with Sarah next June. Now’s the time to reserve your place for this sun-filled course, especially with our special Early Bird discount offer – £GBP 75 off the cost of the course if you book before 31 December 2017.

We had a lovely time this year at the Watermill with Sarah. As one guest said: “Thank you for taking such good care of us. The group was lovely and Sarah Spencer was very helpful with the tips on techniques.”

Sarah is a passionate and inspiring tutor. She says: “I am really looking forward again to sharing my passion and passing on what I’ve learned about oil and acrylic painting and about drawing.”  Her course is suitable for beginners as well as more experienced painters.

Award-winning English artist Sarah Spencer RAS, NEAC* is internationally known for her landscapes, portraits and still lifes. She has had no fewer than 10 solo exhibitions in London since graduating from the Royal Academy Schools. Her work has won national and international acclaim. (*Alumnus of the Royal Academy Schools, elected member of the New English Art Club and Federation of British Artists.) She also tutors painting courses and leads masterclasses for, among others, the UK Royal Academy and the University of the Creative Arts. Here’s a lovely oil by Sarah of Gubbio in Umbria.

3-10 June 2017 Oils, acrylics and drawing mediums

with Sarah Spencer

To learn more about Sarah and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

Come and join us  — and enjoy the magic of the mill! (And enjoy the Early Bird discount.)

 At this time of year when even in Tuscany the sky can sometimes be grey, we love to look at some of Doranne Alden’s vibrant watercolours to brighten our day. Aren’t those pears above quite delicious? And aren’t you tempted by the peaches below?And this flowery balcony reminds us of the Watermill courtyard in Summer.Doranne Alden is a professional artist, art teacher and graphic designer who particularly loves painting in watercolour. She now lives in Malta, but also worked for several years in Germany. Doranne is also a dedicated teacher, who has led many classes and workshops. She loves sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm, inspiring her students to produce their best work — and she’s happy to teach beginners as well as more experienced painters.

And don’t forget: There’s a £GBP 75 Early Bird discount on all our 2017 holidays if you book before the end of this year.

13-20 May: Watercolours

with Doranne Alden

To learn more about Doranne and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

Come and brighten your life with Doranne and us next May!

 

 

Our English Watermill painting tutors seem to be very interested in snow at the moment. I wonder why?

A week or so back, Mike Willdridge gave us some tips about painting snow scenes and now it’s the turn of Lea Nixon, who’s sent this charming picture (above) of a winter scene on the Pennine Way in the North of England where he lives.

Lea says: “Here’s a snow scene that is quite simple in its rendition. My painting style suits this traditional scene: this is the style I teach and the techniques involved are not difficult.

“In the background you can see the distant effect is created by painting dry brush into a moist surface so that the brush strokes dry with soft edges. I use this effect for clouds, mist in the mountains, smoke, atmospheric perspective to mention just a few.

“Towards the front of the picture the edges become hard and defined. This gives detail and a focal point to the picture.

“There’s always a mixture of these hard and soft edges in my pictures. You can see more paintings at the following link: https://leanixon.co.uk/.”

We can’t promise you snow on Lea’s course next June. In fact we can promise you NO snow! And we can also promise a sun-filled, fun-filled, inspiring painting week. We had excellent feedback from Lea’s courses with us this year. One guest said: “The whole experience was amazing … I loved it.”

And it is not just Lea’s great teaching. Another guest wrote: “I very much enjoyed my week at the Watermill. What you do is quite unique in that you get the gastronomy as well, visiting the various restaurants and your own excellent kitchen to experience the true taste of Tuscan food and wine. Furthermore, nothing is too much trouble and you have the personal attention of the owners to ensure that you have a good time.”

Here’s a sunny picture by Lea of the Watermill garden and courtyard:And another of a corner of the courtyard:Lea Nixon is an exceptional watercolour painter from Wigan in the north-west of England for whom mood, character and atmosphere are particularly important. Lea specialises in watercolours, the magic of which excites him again and again. He has been a school teacher for the past 30 years in art and music, so creativity is in his blood – and he likes nothing more than to help others to achieve their artistic goals. Lea says: “There are many different styles and ways to paint a picture and your own personal style defines you as an artist. I like to spot the originality in my students and work with them to develop their skills. It is fantastic fun.”

Lea’s course at The Watermill is for all levels of experience. He says: “We’ll learn about all the qualities to make a good watercolour and I’ll give you a procedure which will simplify the whole painting process. Watercolour is a captivating medium and there are so many ways to use it to make beautiful pictures.”

24 June- 1 July Watercolours

with Lea Nixon

To learn more about Lea and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

Come and savour the magic of The Watermill!

The Watermill studio, converted from part the historic industrial complex, has amazing views from its large tall windows. On one side you look out over the riverside gardens with the River Rosaro running beside them and on the other, the view is of the Watermill walled garden, with the Apennine mountains towering in the distance. Small wonder that many of our guests have been tempted to paint (and photograph) the views. Here are just a few of the results.

Above is a studio view photo taken by one of our non-painting partners, Jan McKenzie, while below is an atmospheric watercolour from the studio by our lovely American tutor Sarah Yeoman.

And here’s a view the other way round: Sarah painting in the studio, taken from the roof terrace across the Watermill courtyard.

This is tutor Lea Nixon’s view of the garden and village from the studio:

And here’s a wonderful photo taken at night by tutor Fábio Cembranelli.

Why not come and see, paint and photograph for yourself on one of our inspiring painting courses? We’d be delighted to welcome you here.

Here’s next year’s list of inspiring painting tutors. And don’t forget our Early Bird discount: £75 off if you book a 2017 painting course before 31 December 2016.

13-20 May: Watercolours

with Doranne Alden

To learn more about Doranne and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

27 May – 3 June Watercolours

with Sandra Strohschein

To learn more about Sandra and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

3-10 June Oils and drawing mediums

with Sarah Spencer

To learn more about Sarah and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

10-17 June Watercolours

with Keiko Tanabe

To learn more about Keiko and her course at The Watermill, please click here

 

17-24 June Oils, acrylics, pastels and drawing mediums

with Maggie Renner Hellmann

To learn more about Maggie and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

24 June- 1 July Watercolours

with Lea Nixon

To learn more about Lea and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

1-8 July Watercolours (and oils, pastels and acrylics)

with Terry Jarvis

To learn more about Terry and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

8 to 15 July 2017 Tom J Byrne

Oils and watercolours

To learn more about Tom and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

15-22 July Watercolours, pastels, collage and mixed media plus acrylic

with Sue Ford

To learn more about Sue and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

22 to 29 July 2017 Mark Warner

Acrylics/watercolours incorporating conte/pastel.

To learn more about Mark and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

26 August-2 September Watercolours

with Varvara Neiman

To learn more about Varvara and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

2-9 September Watercolour and drawing (also gouache and acrylics)

with Mike Willdridge

To learn more about Mike and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

9-16 September Painting plants with coloured pencils

with Janie Pirie

To learn more about Janie and her course at The Watermill, please click here

23-30 September Pastels

with Nel Whatmore and Rebecca de Mendonça

To learn more about Nel and Rebecca and their course at The Watermill, please click  here.

30 September-3 October Watercolours (and acrylics and oils)

with Charles Sluga

To learn more about Charles and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

Come and share the enchantment Watermill painting course! And don’t forget our Early Bird discount: £75 off if you book a 2017 painting course before 31 December 2016…

 

Our Watermill painting tutor Mark Warner, who will be with us for a week-long course in acrylics/watercolours incorporating conte/pastel next Summer has just sent us these two photographs of work in progress in his studio. I love seeing pictures like this, with a creative object slowly emerging. Thanks for sharing these with us Mark.

We look forward to seeing ‘work in progress’ with Mark and his students at The Watermill next July. More details below – and don’t forget our Early Bird discount: if you book a place before 31 December this year, there’s £GBP 75 off Mark’s inspiring course.

Mark is passionate about working outside, tutoring numerous day and residential plein air holidays. His sessions are very popular — and he leads by example, creating a relaxed and encouraging environment.  He says “I adore using colour while interpreting the light, weather and a love for the materials. I work directly in the field (literally on many occasions!) 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 on many occasions, forming an integral part of the painting itself.” Mark works on coloured grounds, incorporating aspects of mark-making and directional brushstrokes within the work. He says: “I continue to draw inspiration from the landscape, although subject matter can be broad and at times very different.”

22 to 29 July 2017 Mark Warner

Acrylics/watercolours incorporating conte/pastel.

To learn more about Mark and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

Come and join us  — and savour the magic of Tuscany and The Watermill. (And enjoy the Early Bird discount.)

 

We just had a lovely Facebook message from Ted Leonard, an American artist who joined us on Sandra Strohschein’s watercolour course last year Ted says: “A wonderful place to visit and paint!!! Absolutely enchanted with the venue and great people!!” Ted even sent us the watercolour above he made of the back of the mill, overlooking the River Rosaro.

Thank you so much for your kind words, Ted. We enjoyed your company and look forward to welcoming you back here sometime in the future.

Why don’t YOU come and see for yourself what all the fuss is about, by joining one of our sun-filled, fun-filled, inspiring painting courses. We’d love to welcome you here. Already more than 130 people have signed up for our creative courses next year, but we’ve still room for YOU!

Here’s next year’s list of inspiring painting tutors. And don’t forget our Early Bird discount: £75 off if you book a 2017 painting course before 31 December 2016.

13-20 May: Watercolours

with Doranne Alden

To learn more about Doranne and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

27 May – 3 June Watercolours

with Sandra Strohschein

To learn more about Sandra and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

3-10 June Oils and drawing mediums

with Sarah Spencer

To learn more about Sarah and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

10-17 June Watercolours

with Keiko Tanabe

To learn more about Keiko and her course at The Watermill, please click here

 

17-24 June Oils, acrylics, pastels and drawing mediums

with Maggie Renner Hellmann

To learn more about Maggie and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

24 June- 1 July Watercolours

with Lea Nixon

To learn more about Lea and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

1-8 July Watercolours (and oils, pastels and acrylics)

with Terry Jarvis

To learn more about Terry and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

8 to 15 July 2017 Tom J Byrne

Oils and watercolours

To learn more about Tom and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

15-22 July Watercolours, pastels, collage and mixed media plus acrylic

with Sue Ford

To learn more about Sue and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

22 to 29 July 2017 Mark Warner

Acrylics/watercolours incorporating conte/pastel.

To learn more about Mark and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

26 August-2 September Watercolours

with Varvara Neiman

To learn more about Varvara and her course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

2-9 September Watercolour and drawing (also gouache and acrylics)

with Mike Willdridge

To learn more about Mike and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

9-16 September Painting plants with coloured pencils

with Janie Pirie

To learn more about Janie and her course at The Watermill, please click here

23-30 September Pastels

with Nel Whatmore and Rebecca de Mendonça

To learn more about Nel and Rebecca and their course at The Watermill, please click  here.

30 September-3 October Watercolours (and acrylics and oils)

with Charles Sluga

To learn more about Charles and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

Come and share the enchantment Watermill painting course! And don’t forget our Early Bird discount: £75 off if you book a 2017 painting course before 31 December 2016…

 

 

We’re delighted to welcome Tom Byrne to the team of inspiring Watermill painting tutors.  Like us (when we are not at the mill) Tom lives in Florence. Some time back Tom was actually a pupil of our friend Michael John Angel, Director of Studies at the Angel Academy here – and ‘Johnny’ Angel was in turn a pupil of the great portrait and fresco painter Pietro Annigoni. Such is the artistic ‘laying on of hands’!

Tom will be with us from Saturday 8 July to Saturday 15 July 2017 and will be teaching in watercolours and oils. He is particuarly keen on plein air painting. More details below — and don’t forget our Early Bird offer – if you book for this inspiring painting course before 31 December this year there is a £GBP 75 discount.

That’s Tom’s atmopsheric oil of a view of the San Niccolò tower across the Arno here in Florence above, and below is a watercolour view from San Miniato al Monte, also in Florence.

Tom J Byrne is a landscape painter living in Florence, Italy where he specialises in plein air painting. He is from Ireland, where he studied and worked as an artist for 20 years, but for the last 15 years he has been living between France and Italy. In his workshop Tom will demonstrate in both watercolour and oils. He says: “The simplicity of watercolours means they are a fantastic way quickly to grasp the principles involved in seeing and painting. Oils give us a very robust and powerful painting which is more easily appreciated by an audience.”

Here’s some praise from former students. One said: “Tom Byrne is a charming host as well as a superb artist. He set up an easy and congenial atmosphere with fantastic food and plenty of wine. Tom is also an inspiring teacher. He’s serious and fun at the same time.” Another said: “Tom Byrne made the experience a special one by creating a friendly, collegial atmosphere among the guests with relaxed, interesting conversations over delicious Italian dinners. There was comprehensive tuition tailored to suit all levels of experience. I was amazed how much I actually painted while thoroughly enjoying myself.”

8 to 15 July 2017 Tom J Byrne

Oils and watercolours

To learn more about Tom and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

 

Come and join us and paint the glorious Tuscan countryside of Lunigiana

Our Watermill painting tutor Mark Warner, who will be with us for a week-long course in acrylics/watercolours incorporating conte/pastel next Summer has just sent us this illuminating painting tip. He says: Don’t look down on the quick sketch

Mark says: “Quick sketches are just as valid as longer planned-out drawings, but can become even more important in developing technique and addressing the immediacy of a scene or view. Don’t worry what people think as it is about YOU experimenting with the media and seeing what does and doesn’t work.”

Mark likes using a soft 2B pencil into washes of watercolour while it is still wet: “The pencil works well with the layers of colour and can emphasise a loose approach while getting important detail, line and shape.  The pencil becomes stronger when the paper is wet.”

A recent trip to Seville in Spain gave Mark the opportunity to experiment further with this technique: “Whether I was sketching a fountain and trees near the Plaza de Espana [above] or outside the Museum of Fine Arts [below] sketching the building and people talking on the benches, it was great to mix the pencil and the watercolour.”

Mark also says: “You will learn and understand more as you increase your sketching. The great thing about a sketchbook is that when you look back at pages, you can remember who was talking to you at the time of the sketch and even the weather and smells.  It’s like opening a video recording!  I love sketching out and about.”

Mark Warner is an artist and tutor who lives in Shropshire in England. He is not only a respected artist but also a highly professional tutor with many years of teaching experience.

Don’t forget our Early Bird discount: If you book before 31 December 2016 there’s a £GBP 75 per person discount on any of our fabulous 2017 painting holidays.

22 to 29 July 2017 Mark Warner

Acrylics/watercolours incorporating conte/pastel.

To learn more about Mark and his course at The Watermill, please click here.

Come and join us  — and savour the magic of Tuscany and The Watermill. (And enjoy the Early Bird discount.)