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Course Structure
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 ten or so people on each course, you can be assured of individual attention.
Courses scheduled
for 2010
(full details of all coures may be found on our web site at: www.watermill.net) |
Fergal Flanagan (gouache, watercolours and pastels) 15-22 May
Fergal is a leading Irish painter and an accomplished and sympathetic teacher. He works in the wonderful rural setting of County Wicklow in Ireland, which he finds very conducive to creative work, producing warm, vibrant landscapes. He paints mainly in gouache and oils, but also in watercolour, pastel and mixed media. |
John Christian (watercolours) 5-12 June
We are delighted to welcome John back to the mill this year. John is such an enthusiastic and sympathetic tutor and his courses are full of fun. He works in ‘pure’ watercolour in a fast spontaneous manner, to capture emotion, with a large brush and a limited palette. His ‘wet into wet’ technique is acclaimed and widely admired. John is an avid exponent of painting (and sketching) on the spot. |
Guy Gruwier (watercolours) 19-26 June
Guy is considered to be one of Belgium’s leading watercolour artists. He paints in a ‘realistic-romantic’ style and he passes on his insights and skills with love and patience. He likes to help students (beginners are welcome) by first identifying what makes a good subject and then building up for a ‘wow’ effect. |
Liz Seward Relfe (watercolours) 10-17 July
Liz has a widespread reputation for still life floral, and landscape paintings (many of which have been reproduced as greetings cards and prints by major companies). Her main inspirations are light, colour, and the heathland landscape around her home in Lightwater, Surrey. |
Freda Alschuler (watercolours) 24-31 July
Freda is a full-time artist and teacher, born in England and now living in Switzerland. She was first trained as a fashion designer and illustrator. Her passion is figurative art in all media and her home surroundings in the Swiss Alps have also inspired her to paint vibrant landscapes. While her course will concentrate on watercolours, Freda is also happy to teach pastel.
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Annelise Pio Hansen (watercolours) 28 August- 4 September
Annelise is a regular and very popular tutor at the watermill: this will be her third visit. Her painting holidays are always great fun and well as inspirational. Annelise’s colours are soft but bright, just like the light reaching the sandy beaches and the soft hills not far from where she lives just outside Copenhagen. |
Laraine Simpson (oils, pastels, watercolours etc.) 4-11 Sept
Laraine is highly regarded as a perceptive, patient and encouraging tutor working with beginners and advanced students alike, She works in oils, pastels, watercolours, and a variety of drawing materials. Her main inspiration is the wonderful interplay of light on surfaces, particularly the human form and landscape, and also animals and architecture.
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Charles Sluga (watercolours) 2-9 October
Charles is a highly respected and sought after artist and watercolour teacher in Australia. 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. He has gained a reputation for his versatility in both his technique and choice of subject matter. |
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We usually spend the first day or so painting around the mill, followed by excursions to the hills, to the medieval walls of Fivizzano and to a private cloistered convent. We take a picnic lunch, including local hams and cheeses. Wednesday is a leisure day and we usually organise an excursion for you by train through the beautiful nearby National Park to the walled city of Lucca.
| Pricing in £'s Sterling |
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Price per person sharing a double room
Double rooms may be booked for single occupancy
although a supplement will apply.
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From £930 per person + IVA
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| Price
for a single room |
£995 + IVA
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Our painting 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.
Non-painting partners are welcome (at a small discount of £25), but you’ll have more fun if you join in and dabble!
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Accommodation
You will stay in an elegant Tuscan house beside the old mill. It has six large double and three single fully furnished bedrooms, and five modern bathrooms, together with a large communal sitting room with an open fire and a dining room for leisurely breakfasts. Dinner (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.
Tutors
At The Watermill we strive
to offer a painting "centre of excellence",
where an extensive group of skilled international artists
lead master classes in painting, using the most beautiful
local settings as a canvas. These
superb tutors have significant experience in exhibiting
and selling their own works commercially, and will share
their expertise and creative muse whilst guiding participants
in a journey of artistic discovery.
Location
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.
Getting There:
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) or, to make life easier, you can use the services of our Personal Travel Adviser, Ann Carter, who will fix everything for you at very competitive prices. There is absolutely no obligation to use her, but if you would like her help, her phone number is 01886 889000 and her email address is ann.carter@tarsc.net. We have found that many travel agents these days are not very helpful and are often tied to big tour operators. Ann will give you personal service.
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Contact Details:
Bill and Lois Breckon
The Watermill at Posara
C/o Garden Cottage
The Forglen Estate
Turriff
Aberdeenshire
AB53 4JP
Tel: 00 44 (0)1888 568 375
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| Web: |
http://www.watermill.net/ |
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