Archives for June 2018

A welcoming smile from Sandra on location at Verrucola this week

We are having a wonderful time with Sandra Strohschein’s third group of painters, this week. Despite the rainy weather yesterday, the group enjoyed an excursion to the quintessential Italian city of Lucca. Today we are all off to the Convento del Carmine for a tranquil day and a tasty picnic. Here’s the painting Sandra made of dappled sunlight in the convent grounds last week.

And here’s a painting guest, Penny Cwynasrski, enjoying the scenery and the sunshine:

We’re pretty full for Sandra’s fourth and final week this year, from June 16 to 23, but if you are keen to make a last minute booking, we’ve a double bedroom left, so there’s room for one more guest, or two sharing.

And we are already taking bookings for Sandra’s courses in 2019. She’ll be here for two weeks next year, from Saturday 1 June to Saturday 8 June 2019 and from Saturday 8 June to Saturday 15 June 2019. But even for 2019, it looks like you’ll have to get your skates on to be sure of a place: we already have eight bookers and one enquirer for the first week and three people have just expressed an interest in the second. So, as they say, ‘book now to avoid disappointment’, especially as there’s a ‘2019 courses at 2018 prices offer’ until September this year. You can find out more about Sandra’s sun-filled, fun-filled, inspiring weeks and all our other creative courses in 2019, by clicking here.

Come and join us!

Picture: Sandra Strohchein

Yesterday everyone in Sandra Strohschein’s enthusiastic group went painting in the tranquil surroundings of the Convento del Carmine, a 16^th Century monastery set in beautiful grounds near the Watermill. It’s a relaxing day after the excitements of excursions to the Cinque Terre or Lucca on Wednesday. Our guests enjoy the exclusive use of the convent and grounds. Sandra has been before, of course, so this year she chose to paint the dappled sunlight in the convent grounds (above).

Our painting guest Penny Cwynarski enjoying a shady spot in the convent grounds

Here’s the list of the few places left on our creative courses this year.

Painting:

Sandra Strohschein
16 June to 23 June 2018 1 place or 2 sharing
Watercolours
To learn more about Sandra, her course at the mill and to see more of her pictures, please visit her Profile Page

Andrew Geeson
23 June to 30 June 2018 1 place or 2 sharing
Watercolours
To learn more about Andrew, his course at the mill and to see more of his pictures, please visit his Profile Page

Terry Jarvis
7 July to 14 July 2018 Still places
Watercolours (and oils, pastels and acrylics)
To learn more about Terry, his course at the mill and to see more of his pictures, please visit his Profile Page

Mike Willdridge
8 September to 15 September 2018 1 place
Watercolours and drawing (also gouache and acrylics with an emphasis on sketching and drawing on location)
To learn more about Mike, his course at the mill and to see more of his pictures, please visit his Profile Page

On our Writing you Life’s Stories week:

Today’s picture by Sandra Strohschein, our early Summer artist in residence, is of the River Rosaro, which gurgles past the Watermill. Technically a torrente, in the sense that it is a torrent in the Winter and after the Spring snow melt in the high Apennines, but lower and more sedate in the Summer, the Rosaro is so named because wild roses grow at its source a dozen or so miles from here.

It provides a pleasant backdrop to the Watermill and the ‘white noise’ the water makes as it tumbles over the rocks provides a soothing continuo to the polyphony of birdsong.

Come and see – and hear – for yourselves. We’ve a couple places left on Sandra’s painting courses next week and the week after:

Sandra Strohschein
9 June to 16 June 2018 1 place or 2 sharing
Watercolours
To learn more about Sandra, her course at the mill and to see more of her pictures, please visit her Profile Page

Sandra Strohschein
16 June to 23 June 2018 1 place or 2 sharing
Watercolours
To learn more about Sandra, her course at the mill and to see more of her pictures, please visit her Profile Page

And a few places left on later printing courses:

Andrew Geeson
23 June to 30 June 2018 1 place or 2 sharing
Watercolours
To learn more about Andrew, his course at the mill and to see more of his pictures, please visit his Profile Page

Terry Jarvis
7 July to 14 July 2018 A few places left
Watercolours (and oils, pastels and acrylics)
To learn more about Terry, his course at the mill and to see more of his pictures, please visit his Profile Page

The Rosaro, by tutor Mike Willdridge

Watermill painting guest Peter Readman seen yesterday seeking out the best spot to paint beside the River Rosaro as it gurgles past the Mill. Peter’s part of an enthusiastic group of talented painters on Sandra Strohschein’s second week here. We are looking forward to seeing all their work in the end of the week exhibition on Friday.

Meanwhile, here’s a colourful moment photographed by Sandra of the flower vases we fill with blooms from the garden two welcome our guests every Saturday.

And here are some of our guests looking suitably interested as Bill explains the finer points of the workings of the 17^th Century mill during their Saturday afternoon tour of mill, river and millstream.

Picture: Sandra Strohshein

And here’s an unexpected guest.

Picture: Chloe Taylor

He’s Aurora and with his companion Alba (and a couple of humans), he’s just completed a trek to Gothenburg and back. They’re nearly home near La Spezia now after their epic adventure and called in to say hello and nibble a few leaves from our ancient mulberry trees.

There’s always something happening on a Watermill holiday. Come and join us and see for yourselves.

Sandra Strohschein
9 June to 16 June 2018 2/3 places
Watercolours
To learn more about Sandra, her course at the mill and to see more of her pictures, please visit her Profile Page

Sandra Strohschein
16 June to 23 June 2018 1 place or 2 sharing
Watercolours
To learn more about Sandra, her course at the mill and to see more of her pictures, please visit her Profile Page

Andrew Geeson
23 June to 30 June 2018 1 place or 2 sharing
Watercolours
To learn more about Andrew, his course at the mill and to see more of his pictures, please visit his Profile Page

Terry Jarvis
7 July to 14 July 2018 Still places
Watercolours (and oils, pastels and acrylics)
To learn more about Terry, his course at the mill and to see more of his pictures, please visit his Profile Page

Mike Willdridge
8 September to 15 September 2018 1 place
Watercolours and drawing (also gouache and acrylics with an emphasis on sketching and drawing on location)
To learn more about Mike, his course at the mill and to see more of his pictures, please visit his Profile Page

On our Writing you Life’s Stories week: