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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 2008 |
Annelise Pio Hansen: 10-17 May
Her 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. A successful artist, both selling her works and teaching. |
Michael Kitchen: 24-31 May
For several years he has been an official demonstrator at The Artist & Illustrator's Show in London & contributed articles to Leisure Painter magazine. Michael works in watercolours, oils and pastels and is skilled in portraiture and in country and coastal scenes.
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Mike Willdridge: 31 May-7 June
Tends to work in, and teach a loose and free painting style. He tries to encourage each student to develop his/her own style as he knows that to do so will, ultimately, prove more rewarding than simply copying from his work/demonstrations.
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Lyn Fraser-Roberts: 14-21 June
An award-winning artist, based in Australia. In recent years Lyn has become well known for her floral paintings in oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolour, ranging in size from small and simple to large complex works. |
Muriel Owen: 28 June-5 July
Muriel has 28 on permanent display at Yarmouth Castle, Isle of Wight and exhibits regularly. Her speciality is architecture and landscapes. |
Bruce Wilson: 5-12 July
An award-winning nature & botanical artist. He works full time as an artist & teaches a wide variety media & subject matter including botanical art with watercolour, pen & ink with pastel, and graphite drawing. |
Patricia Johnston: 19-26 July
Her great love is painting on site to produce exciting vibrant work and she has won many awards and is represented in collections in Australia and internationally. |
Frank Halliday: 26 July-2 August
Frank works professionally for Winsor & Newton as a demonstrator, tutors workshops for Arts & Leisure Painter magazine, and demonstrates at shows around the country. |
Jennifer Branch: 30 Aug to 6 Sept
A modern impressionist bringing her subjects to vibrant life on paper. Her style is uniquely vivid in colour and concept – and her paintings explore the full possibilities of ‘transparent’ watercolour, a medium which brings colour and light to life. |
Laraine Simpson: 6-13 September
Aims to teach people to ‘see’ the relationships of line, tone, shape, colour etc which are fundamental to drawing and painting. 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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Terry Jarvis: 13-20 September
is one of Australia’s leading watercolour artists. He also works in oils, pastels and acrylics. Among his fascinating recent projects have been working with Aborigines in Northern Australia and with refugees from Kosovo in Tasmania. |
Charles Sluga: 4-11 October
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. |
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 |
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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 £665 per person + IVA
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| Price
for a single room |
£715 + 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 privately owned 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 on the Saturday (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, Manchester and Bristol).
For those of you living in the North of England Jet2 will be using Manchester airport for flights to Pisa in 2005 and the booking is already open for September. The fare is very cheap. It is easy to get to Manchester airport from Middlesbrough, York, Leeds etc. via the Transpennine Express which currently goes hourly and connects well to the Pisa flight (That is: Dep Thirsk 9.57, Arr Manchester Airport 12.13, Dep Manchester airport 14.00, Arr Pisa 17.15.)
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Contact Details:
Bill and Lois Breckon
Castle of Park
Cornhill, Aberdeenshire
AB45 2AX
Scotland
Tel: 00 44 (0)1466 75 11 11
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