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. The ancient water tower is in the foreground with the arched entrance to the Choristers School behind. Used primarily as a venue for special occassions associated with Durham University and as student accommodation, it is known to students simply as Castle. I was fascinated by this giant mechanism during a trip up the Thames in 2019. The Basilica of St Mary of Health (Italian: Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute), commonly known as the Salute, is a minor basilica which stands on a narrow finger of land between the Grand Canal and the Bacino di San Marco making the church visible from the Piazza San Marco.The church was designed in the then fashionable baroque style by Baldassare Longhena, and construction began in 1631.The dome of the Salute was an important addition to the Venice skyline and soon became emblematic of the city, inspiring artists like Canaletto, J. M. W. Turner and John Singer Sargent. 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 magnificent castle and Cathedral dominate the skyline above the river on a bitterly cold winters day. This anti-room to the former palazzo, (now restaurant) was open to the street. I couldn't resist walking in to gawp at the two wonderful chinese vases on display. This distressed facade adds to the charm of one of the many palazzios to be found on the back waters of Venice. 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. A beautiful day relaxing on College Green The steep access on Owengate offers the visitor the first glimpse of the majestic Cathedral. In reality this view is obscured by trees. The towers of the north transept would therefore not be visible without the judicious application of 'Artistic Licence'. My wife and I celebrated a recent wedding anniversary with a river trip to see the Thames Barrier. On our way, I was fascinated by the relationship between these two iconic structures. This the Second of the Villa Cimbrone paintings depicts the Temple of Ceres leading to the Belvedere or so called Terrace of Infinity which has magnificent views of the Amalfi coast.

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

The entrance to the castle on a bright autumn afternoon.

The Gateway, Durham Castle
watercolour
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Commissioned to celebrate the retirement of a close friend, the magnificent Rose Window with Dun Cow Lane in the middle distance.

Durham Cathedral Rose Window and Dun Cow Lane
Watercolour
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