The entrance to the castle on a bright autumn afternoon. The attic bedroom of Charles Paget Wade an extraordinary man with a passion for collecting. Let nothing perish was his motto which but hints at a life dedicated to finding and restoring beautiful objects whether common or extraordinary. He packed these into the Cotswold manor house which he bought and renovated for the purpose. From toys, Samurai armour, musical instruments to fine clocks, thousands of treasures are still exhibited just as Mr Wade intended. San Giorgio Maggiore the 16th century Benedictine Basilica is viewed from one of the numerous gondola stations serving tourists visiting Piazza San Marco. The church was designed by Andrea Palladio, and built between 1566 and 1610 in the classical renaissance style. This lovely church lies on the opposite bank of the River Wear to Durham Cathedral which can be viewed from this spot during winter months. This former palace, situated on the hill below Prague Castle, is now the Italian Embassy. The painting is one of two shortlisted in the 2016 Sunday Times Watercolour Competition. 16thc Horden Hall looms over the once thriving farm buildings. The majestic Cathedral looms over visitors to the Castle I wanted to paint this and the view of Elvet bridge from Prince Bishop's Car Park for ages and only their complexity put me off, though eventually I couldn't resist the challenge. York Minster is one of the largest Gothic Cathedrals in Europe and is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second highest office of the Church of England. I loved my original version of this painting so much, that I decided to give it another go in order to kick start a new series for my 2016 exhibition. My wife and I have enjoyed two short breaks in Siena in recent years, attracted by the undeniably beauty of the architecture which surprises the visitor at every turn. The medieval Elvet bridge built in 1160 by Bishop Hugh de Puiset. This beautifully lit jug of sunflowers was sitting on the metal table depicted in a recent Owengate cafe painting. Although a departure from my normal subject material, the painting process gave great pleasure. And despite the obvious allure of the flowers themselves, my favourite passages are the rusty ends to the metalwork of the garden chairs. The magnificent castle and Cathedral dominate the skyline above the river on a bitterly cold winters day. One of 3 new works for 2021 depicting this villa most famous for the A list celebrities who have visited it over many years. These include Winston Churchill, Greta Garbo and T S Eliot. However, my wife and I traveled there on the strength of seeing the villa depicted on The Trip to Italy with comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Used primarily as a venue for special occassions associated with Durham University and as student accommodation, it is known to students simply as Castle.

Stuart Fisher Watercolours

Artist and award winning designer Stuart Fisher has exhibited his watercolour paintings across the region and as far south as Bath’s prestigious Rooksmoor Gallery. Shortly after his birth in Nuneaton Warwickshire in 1954, Stuart's parents moved to Peterlee New Town where he still lives today with his wife Anne.

Stuart believes that a large section of the art buying public are poorly served by the art market and are hungry for the return of traditional painting. He therefore specialises in the production of architectural watercolours within which he aims to imbue the atmospheric ambiance typical of Turner with the technical brilliance of his artistic hero, Sir William Russell Flint.

A career in architecture spanning almost 34 years culminated with his multi award winning design for Durham City's Science Learning Centre North East. This was followed in 2005 by what he terms 'an escape from the tyranny of the right angle' and the subsequent launch of his professional artistic career early in 2010





Original Watercolours for Sale

Opened in 1966 the Grade 1 listed structure designed by Sir Ove Arup, links the historic peninsular to Dunelm House on Old Elvet.

Kingsgate Bridge Durham City
pen and ink
Size:
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The magnificent central tower is 218 feet in height and here set against a darkened evening winter sky.

Durham Cathedral Bell Tower
Watercolour
Size: 320mm x 350mm
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