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. 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. Sadly this delightful 18th Century church is set to be converted into a private dwelling house. I vividly remember childhood expeditions to surreptitiously collect shiny new conkers in the church yard. The church is near to where a claw style green glass beaker dated to the 5th century AD and of Frankish origin, was unearthed from under a hedge in 1775. The area at the time was being worked upon by local landowner Rowland Burdon. The church had been built only a few years earlier and The Beaker as it became to be known, was found with it's base sticking out of the ground by an estate worker. It is held in The British Museum and is evidently the only one of it's kind to be found in England. Just around the corner from The Pantheon, people stream back to their accommodation as evening light fades. A homàge to Pieter Bruegel the Elder's The Wedding Feast, this painting is loosely based upon the National Trust's Stourhead Estate in Wiltshire. 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'. 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'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. Stuart was shortlisted in the 2013 Sunday Times Watercolour Competition for this painting depicting a violent storm breaking over Cromer pier Norfolk. During the storm 'day became night' and Stuart and his wife Anne were soaked through to the skin in the deluge of rain. 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. The University Library had a major refit before exhibiting The Lindisfarne Gospels to great public acclaim in 2013. Visitors linger on the snow covered green as light fades. Short summary of Castle Keep This Venetian church which lies in the cestiere Cannaregio was founded in the 10th century. Part of the 2014 Durham Cathedral exhibition.

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

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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The entrance to College Green, an area behind Durham Cathedral mostly overlooked by tourists.

Durham Cathedral, College Gate from College Green
watercolour
Size:
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