Painting holiday courses in Italy at The Watermill, Posara

For centuries artists have drawn their inspiration from the Tuscan landscape and you could find few better places to enjoy your art and improve your skills than in our beautiful watermill set beside the curving banks of the river in a gentle, wooded valley. Secluded, yet part of the village; peaceful, yet just a mile from the walled medieval town of Fivizzano with its cafés, restaurants and shops; with pleasant gardens and peaceful millstream walks and with stunning views of the mountains in the background, the mill provides the ideal location for a painting holiday.

We should emphasise that everything is included in the cost of your art course: accommodation (including all linen and towels), all meals (including dinner at charming local restaurants), local transportation (including transfers to Pisa airport, assuming you arrive between 11am and 2pm) and tuition.

Our courses are designed to help both experienced painters and beginners to make the most of their abilities and, most of all, enjoy their painting. Since there will only be twelve or so people on each course, you can be assured of individual attention. What distinguishes the Watermill at Posara from other locations is that Bill and Lois Breckon have carefully chosen painters of international repute to guide their guests. They are all well known for their empathy in gauging the individual abilities of the students in their classes, and can also encourage and instil confidence in even the most hesitant.

John Christian (watercolours) 12-19 May 2012
We are delighted to welcome John back to the watermill in 2012: He’s such an enthusiastic and sympathetic tutor and his courses are full of fun. John works in ‘pure’ watercolour in a fast spontaneous manner, to capture emotion. His ‘wet into wet’ technique is acclaimed and widely admired. He is also an avid exponent of painting (and sketching) on the spot. John’s previous students have written many lovely comments about his course. One said: “What an excellent holiday at the watermill. Everything was first-class, the venue, the group, the tutor, the food, the environment. You looked after all our needs. Thank you so much.” Another added: “The organisation was absolutely wonderful; we were so well looked after”

Jennifer Branch (watercolours, oils and acrylics) 19-26 May 2012
Jennifer is a modern impressionist. Her style is uniquely vivid in color and concept – and her paintings explore the full possibilities of ‘transparent’ watercolour, a medium which brings color and light to life on paper. Her workshops draw artists from around the world to learn from her unique painting style. While she prefers to work in watercolors, Jennifer is also skilled in oils and acrylics and is happy to teach in those media, too. A previous guest at the mill said: “Jennifer was a superb artist/coach and we learned a lot from her.” As for the hospitality at the mill: “The meals were wonderful and we were awash with lovely wines!”

Georgia Mansur (watercolours, acrylics and oils) 26 May – 2 June 2012
Award-winning international artist and tutor Georgia Mansur grew up in California and moved to Australia in 1984, and now lives on her family’s vineyard in Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia. She is experienced in all media and has a particular passion for painting en plein air. As a teacher, her positive approach and friendly manner ensures every student feels really comfortable, whether they are a raw beginner or seasoned professional artist. She’s happy to teach in watercolour, impasto acrylics and oils. She says: “I love to see my students producing the beautiful work that comes from a good understanding of the foundations and concepts necessary for painting success. Learning to see ‘as an artist sees’, and simplifying the complexity of subjects, increases their painting skills exponentially.”


Bob Henfrey (watercolours, oils, pastels and other media) 2 -9 June 2012
For more than 20 years Bob has been a regular and popular adult education tutor and has led painting holidays and events in the UK and Europe. He exhibits widely and is a frequent contributor to the London Art scene at the Mall Galleries. As a teacher, Bob has an approachable manner, for everyone from basic starters to very experienced. He is accomplished in a wide range of media and styles of painting and likes to lead by example with painting demonstrations. With a relaxed rather than formal style of coaching, Bob prefers to encourage confidence by expressing the positive side of painting and finding practical solutions to any problems that arise. As one previous student said: I’ve had many years of going on painting holidays led by Bob. Hardworking, keen on good preparation, painstaking in his teaching and attentive to different needs, Bob is also good fun and highly recommended!”


Liz Seward (watercolours and mixed media) 9-16 June 2012
We are delighted that Liz Seward is returning to the watermill in 2012. She has a widespread reputation for still life, floral and landscape paintings. And she really is a first-class teacher. Liz concentrates mainly on watercolours, but she will also teach in mixed media (acrylic, ink and water-soluble crayons) on watercolour paper.
One of last year’s students commented: “Liz was patient and encouraging and I loved her relaxed style working with plenty of water on the paper." Another said: “Because the Watermill is in a clean and lovely village by a river, it's so healthy for the mind, body and soul. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the opportunity to experience something that I never dreamed could happen."

Fábio Cembranelli (watercolours*) 16-23 June 2012 and 23-30 June 2012
Fábio, a Brazilian artist, is internationally famous for his unique and luminous floral watercolours*, but he also loves painting landscapes. Today much of his work his work focuses on plein air painting, observing and studying nature firsthand at inspiring outdoor locations. This will be his second visit to the mill and the wonderful scenery of Lunigiana. (* Fábio will also teach in oils and acrylics for those who want to work in these media.) Explaining why he has chosen transparent watercolour as his favorite medium, he says: "What compels me to paint with this approach is the possibility of painting quickly. It suits my personality: I lean intuitively toward realism, but the speed forces me to create diffused effects and shapes. I love painting flowers and landscapes in watercolor and I'm always enchanted by the attempt to capture the contrast between loose and definitive edges, as well as light and shadow effects."
Chester Kasnowski (oil pastel, acrylics and watercolour on request) 21-28 July 2012
Chester’s course will focus on Oil Pastel, but he is equally skilled at painting and teaching in acrylics or watercolour, and if you want to bring these, he will happily help you with these media as well. Chester has taught art for more than 30 years; lectured; written art reviews; given workshops; and, was a curator of education at the New Orleans Museum of Art. His highly charged still-lifes, figures and landscapes are in numerous private collections as well as museums such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim (NY), the Tate Gallery (London) and the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam). Chester says: “My goal as an art teacher is to provide students the confidence to paint anything, anytime. I set a comfortable, fun and enthusiastic working pace in an atmosphere of open communication. I paint side-by-side with students and by example I help them over the hurdles of drifting thoughts to refocus for creating a personal, successful painting”.

Milind Mulik (watercolours) 28 July-4 August 2012
Milind Mulick is an internationally acclaimed watercolour artist who has also been leading landscape painting workshops for past ten years. He is so well known in his own country that people substitute his name, ‘Milind’, for the word ‘watercolour’. “By developing an approach which is easy to understand I have made watercolour learning available to everyone,” he says. Milind has written five books on watercolour painting and his most popular one, Watercolour, is already in its 15th edition. He also writes for International Artist, Artist’s Magazine, The Artist and Watercolor Magic. Milind’s paintings are in many public as well as private collections all over the world and he has held numerous solo exhibitions in India and Europe.


Margaret Ferraro (oils and soft pastel) 18-25 August 2012
Margaret’s week-long painting course at the watermill will concentrate on oils and soft pastel. An artist all her life, she loves to share her knowledge and skills with all her students, from beginners right through to advanced. Margaret strives to provide a fun, non-judgemental atmosphere, allowing everyone to develop at their own pace and in their own way. She says: “With a background in textile design, I can’t help but interpret landscape as a collection of exciting colour play, textural, designed, patterns, culminating in my own personal expression of what I find beautiful in the natural world. Using underpainting as a basis for colour reaction, I work dark to light, employ cool and warm contrast, as well as value play. These landscapes are puzzles to me, fitting in each piece as they come right.”

Annelise Pio Hansen (watercolours) 25 August- 1 September 2012
Annelise Pio Hansen is a regular and very popular tutor at the watermill. This will be her sixth visit. She often brings a group of fun-loving Danish students, who like to meet like-minded artists from other nationalities -- and Annelise generally teaches in English. Annelise is never happier than when she has a paintbrush in her hand. She waves it cheerfully when she’s telling her students how to understand watercolour painting and the techniques and materials to use. And above all, she likes to show them by using that paintbrush to demonstrate just how it’s done. Her painting holidays are always great fun, with much laughter on location and in the studio. As one recent guest commented: “We really felt at home at the watermill and we were so well looked after during the week.”

Laraine Simpson (oils, pastels, watercolours etc.) 1-8 September
A Fine Arts-Painting graduate of Central School of Art & Design (now Central St. Martins), London, Laraine’s main inspiration is the wonderful interplay of light on surfaces, particularly the human form and landscape. She works in oils, pastels, watercolours and a variety of drawing materials and she will share her skills in all these media. Laraine is a conscientious and sympathetic tutor, inspiring her students, whether they are just beginners or more advanced painters. This is her fifth visit to the mill. One student on last year’s painting holiday said: “Laraine never neglects you. She encourages you all the time. You couldn’t have anyone better. The fact that she can teach most media is an added bonus: she knows her stuff.”
And another added: “Laraine is an excellent tutor, whatever your level.”

Doug Mays (watercolours) 8-15 September 2012
Doug is known for his loose, impressionistic painting style, an approach that allows him to maximize watercolour's spontaneity and 'expressive freedom'. Doug’s paintings are inspired by the works of John Singer Sargent and the teachings of Edgar Whitney. Doug is an elected member of Canada’s national watercolour society – The Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (CSPWC); he is a Past-President of the Central Ontario Art Association and is an active member of the Ontario Plein Air Society. He is an award winning artist who has proven to be a personable and effective watercolour instructor conducting workshops and painting with numerous art groups in Canada, USA, Mexico and Europe.
David Taylor (watercolours) 22-29 September 2012
We are absolutely delighted to welcome back David Taylor, one of Australia’s outstanding artists for his second visit to the watermill: everyone had a marvellous time this year. Here’s what one student said of last year’s course: “What a week we all had! Quite fantastic! I congratulate you on creating, certainly for an artist, a paradise. The course was so well organised and David was exceptional” Another said: “One of the best painting holidays I have been on. David was amazing and helped show us how it should be done! The Watermill itself is just what I had hoped it would be and we had our every need catered for.” David is a great painter and a truly inspiring teacher. As another of his students said: “Patient teaching, wonderful work, charismatic demos.”

Charles Sluga (watercolours) 29 September-6 October 2012
Charles is a highly respected and sought-after artist in Australia who has gained a reputation for his versatility in both his technique and choice of subject matter. He also a great teacher: his friendly and enthusiastic approach and eagerness to impart his wide knowledge is reflected in his popularity as a tutor and the waiting lists for his regular classes. This will be his fifth visit to the watermill. Here’s what one of last year’s students had to say: “This was the most relaxing holiday I have had for a long time. The accommodation was lovely; the food, both at the watermill and local restaurants, was exceptional. The timetable was well organised and ran like clockwork, yet everyone remained relaxed and friendly.”

Our painting holidays and creative writing courses are all-inclusive: everything is included in the cost of your holiday: transfers to and from Pisa, tuition, accommodation, all meals and local transportation. Double rooms may be booked for single occupation, however a supplement will apply. For those non-painting partners who would also like to come, we’ve lots of suggestions for things to do while your partner paints.

You will stay in an elegant Tuscan house beside the old mill. It has six large double and five single fully furnished bedrooms. Two of the single bedroom have en suite bathrooms. There are another five modern bathrooms. There is a large sitting room for aperitivi before supper and congenial chats afterwards, and a new dining room overlooking the courtyard for leisurely breakfasts and some dinners. Other dinners (it‘s all included in the cost of the course) will be at several small and friendly local restaurants and will include regional Italian dishes and wines. We can cater for vegetarians on request. There are facilities at the mill for personal tea and coffee-making. There are sun-filled terraces and, beside the courtyard, millstone tables under the vines for meals outdoors. Our secluded gardens extend for about a quarter of a mile beside the river and along the millstream.

Our beautiful watermill in Tuscany stands beside the River Rosaro in the small village of Posara, a mile or so from the walled medieval town of Fivizzano in the district of Lunigiana. Set in a gentle wooded valley with rolling hills and mountain peaks in the background, the mill is a peaceful spot, yet within easy reach of the sea and the tourist attractions of Tuscany.

We pick you up at Pisa airport between 11am and 2pm (unless you decide to drive to Italy, in which case we’ll give you full directions). You can book your own flights (there are good connections from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, East Midlands, Birmingham, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester and Bristol and from many international airports) or, to make life easier, you can use the services of our Personal Travel Adviser, Peter Millard, who will fix everything for you at very competitive prices. Peter has more than 30 years experience in the travel industry. Peter will give you personal service and he knows how the mill organisation works. There is absolutely no obligation to use him, but if you would like his help, his email address is peter.millard@futuretravel.co.uk and his UK phone number is 0844 209 4039 (you only pay a local call charge wherever you call from in the UK).