The granddaughter of a close friend. Used primarily as a venue for special occassions associated with Durham University and as student accommodation, it is known to students simply as Castle.
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.
The magnificent castle and Cathedral dominate the skyline above the river on a bitterly cold winters day. The ancient medieval arched entrance to the College an area behind the Cathedral which is the home of the clergy and the Chorister School. The staircase to the Cathedral Chapter Office can just be made out in the shadows of the passage in the centre of view which also leads to the Cathedral workshops. Part of the 2014 Durham Cathedral Exhibition. 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.

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. 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. The north facing Cathedral door features an exact replica of the bronze Sanctuary Knocker. The original is normally part of the Cathedral Treasures display but was part of the Royal Academy's 'Bronze' exhibition during 2012. The medieval Elvet bridge built in 1160 by Bishop Hugh de Puiset. Looking up as I always do when walking around a great city, this otherwise ignored facade captured my imagination and became one of two shortlisted in the 2016 Sunday Times Watercolour Competition.

The north facing Cathedral door features an exact replica of the bronze Sanctuary Knocker which is normally part of the Cathedral Treasures display but is currently part of the Royal Academy's 'Bronze' exhibition which will run until December 8th. Bow Lane is reputed to be the route that William the Conqueror took when leaving the city after visiting the coffin of Saint Cuthbert in Durham Cathedral. At that time it lead down to a ford across the River Wear, but now leads to Kingsgate Bridge, a superbly elegant concrete structure designed by Ove Arup and completed in 1963. Passengers of a gondola being entertained by a singer and his accordionist.
The ancient medieval arched entrance to The College, an area on the south side of the Cathedral which is the home of the Cathedral clergy and the Chorister School.

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

This church with it's Romanesque tower dating back to the 13th century, sits at the highest elevation in the village. The covered seating gives shelter and great views down the coast to Teesport to the weary traveller.

St Mary the Virgin Easington Village, County Durham.
Watercolour
Size: size unrecorded
» More Info

The granddaughter of a close friend.

Phoebe
Watercolour
Size: 180mm x 260mm
» More Info