This folly once belonged to Polish born 'Count' Joseph Boruwlaski (1739-1837) a dwarf musician who entertained much of european aristocracy in his lifetime ending his days in Durham City and being buried in the Cathedral. A life size statue of him and various personal effects are kept in The Town Hall. The magnificent central tower is 218 feet in height and here set against a darkened evening winter sky. Founded by Elizabeth the First in 1571 for the education of the clergy, the College alumni include T E Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) and twice British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson . I've always loved the view up Owengate with The Cathedral in the distance and as such have been drawn to paint it on a number of occasions. Most observers don't even notice the tree near to the junction with North Bailey and  Saddler Street but I see it as almost a curtain pulled aside to reveal the view beyond. I cut my artistic teeth painting and drawing trees. This view of the West Towers offered a great opportunity to enjoy myself painting them lit by the dying winter sun. Short summary of Castle Keep I wanted to paint this view of Elvet bridge from Prince Bishop's Car Park for ages and only it's complexity put me off, though eventually I couldn't resist the challenge. A scene reminiscent of Jan Bruegel's famous Hunters in The Snow. One of my all time favourite paintings. This is the wonderful view with our backs to the  door of St Marti Sacosta. It gave immense pleasure to paint the ancient and somewhat crumbling stonework to the buildings either side of the steps and the people enjoying lunch at the restaurant below. This giant water wheel is part of the Killhope Lead Mining Museum located in the North Pennines area of County Durham. At one time in the late 19th century, the mine was one of the most productive in Britain. Little did my patron realise when commissioning the painting, that in another life, I was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of the museum's visitor centre. The University Library had a major refit before exhibiting The Lindisfarne Gospels to great public acclaim in 2013.
This Venetian church which lies in the cestiere Cannaregio was founded in the 10th century. Part of the 2014 Durham Cathedral exhibition. Elvet Bridge built in 1160 by Bishop Hugh de Puiset. Part of the 2014 Durham Cathedral Exhibition. The medieval rose window as seen from the Bailey was installed by the Architect James Wyatt in the 18th century ostensibly to replace an original 13th century example. A Cornish fishing village, Mevagissey now derives most of it's income from tourism. The brightly coloured vessels in it's harbour, the narrow winding streets and the stunning coastline being the obvious attractions.
Saddler Street to the right of the painting at one time boasted a castelated gateways protecting the entrance to the Cathedral quarter, a remnant of which can be seen behind an obscure doorway off the main street.

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

Used primarily as a venue for special occassions associated with Durham University and as student accommodation, it is known to students simply as Castle.

Durham Castle (watercolour and ink)
Sepia watercolour over black ink.
Size: 400 x 220 mm.
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I was fascinated by this giant mechanism during a trip up the Thames in 2019.

The Thames Barrier
Watercolour
Size: 290mm x 210mm
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