The magnificent castle and Cathedral dominate the skyline above the river on a bitterly cold winters day. Short summary of Oxford 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 ancient water tower is in the foreground with the arched entrance to the Choristers School behind.
The centerpiece of this beautiful square is this fountain built in 1368 by Cansigorio della Scala, which is surmounted by a statue called Madonna Verona. The statue is in fact Roman dating to 380 AD. Visitors linger on the snow covered green as light fades. Crossing the river Avon, Pulteney bridge designed by Robert Adam was completed in 1773. It is one of only four bridges in the world having shops across the full span on either side of the bridge thoroughfare. The ancient medieval arched entrance to the College an area behind the Cathedral which is the home of the clergy and the Chorister School. Part of the 2014 Durham Cathedral Exhibition. 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. A scene reminiscent of Jan Bruegel's famous Hunters in The Snow. One of my all time favourite paintings. The majestic Cathedral looms over visitors to the Castle I was fascinated by this giant mechanism during a trip up the Thames in 2019. I always wondered what lay behind the imposing Castle Gatehouse. And so I sneaked into the courtyard one sunny afternoon in the hope of taking a few snaps for later use. I was quickly discovered by a security guard who after a gentle reprimand, escorted me back to the gate. The magnificent central tower is 218 feet in height and here set against a darkened evening winter sky. The medieval Elvet bridge built in 1160 by Bishop Hugh de Puiset. A fisherman mending baskets watched by his young protegè 
on the island of Skiathos in Greece.

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 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.

Pujada Di Sant Domenec, Girona Spain.
Watercolour
Size: 377mm x 508mm
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My wife and I found this doorway with it's stunning portico and broken pediment while sauntering through the delightful cobbled streets of Girona.

The Church of St Marti Sacosta, Girona Spain.
Watercolour
Size: 322mm x 450mm
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