Looking down occasionally can be truly amazing
When entering the Duomo, the cathedral of Santa Maria Fiore in Florence, the natural tendency is to look up, into the soaring space of the dome, the capolavoro of my…
Artistic insights, food for thought, and recipes
Inspiring thoughts from an Indian holiday and from a Watermill guest
Lois and I were very moved by an email this week from Mary Jane Colley, a guest on a Watermill creative course last year, full of thoughtful insights about…
Michelangelo’s Tuscany: Artistic Inspiration for Your Painting Holiday
Why does Michelangelo’s Moses have horns? Similarly, why do the four evangelists not mention an ox and a donkey in the Bible, even though Nativity scenes show them? These…
ChatGPT versus the artist’s mind. Can AI be truly creative?
We ‘creative types’ have been struggling for some time now to assess the impact of Artificial Intelligence on our creativity – and our livelihoods. These new AI programs not only…
Those were the days…
Facebook Memories just sent us this charming picture of Bill and our two daughters, Lydia and Lara, from 2018. Since then Bill has become older and more wizened, so he…
More food for thought. George Orwell’s warnings about totalitarianism and technology are even more relevant today
≠BBC ArchivesGeorge Orwell, one of the most perspicacious and influential authors of the 20th century, died 75 years ago this week, As an old BBC hack, I love to read…
Which male artist will have the bedroom next to Sofonisba? Discover the charm of our artist-themed rooms during your art holidays in Tuscany.
While Lois and the Watermill team ponder on the renovation and refurbishment of the new guest bedrooms we are creating on the first floor of the 17th-century Watermill, Bill has…
A Scottish Skating Minister and Winter Inspiration for Painting Holidays in Tuscany
We’ve chosen this delightful image of an 18th Century Scottish Presbyterian minister ice skating gracefully on Duddingston Loch to send our Season’s Greetings to all our Watermill friends and…
The Watermill in Tuscany’s Contribution to Clean Water Initiatives
As you probably know, we are Cool and Green at the Watermill. Our hidden array of photovoltaic cells, as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions from conventional power stations, makes…
Naming Our New Tuscan Bedrooms
When we put the new roof on the 17th-century part of the Watermill at Posara in the next month or so, we are going to take the opportunity to create…
…in a saucy hat! Donatello’s David
When putting the finishing touches to the first draft of my new historical detective story The Illusion of Reality, I marvelled again at the extraordinary vivacity of Donatello’s incredible bronze…
A serendipitous sunny Saturday
Lois and I were in the vibrant Sant’Ambrogio food market near our apartment in Florence on Saturday on a marvellously warm and sunny morning, enjoying the shops and stalls, buying…