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. 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. This distressed facade adds to the charm of one of the many palazzios to be found on the back waters of Venice. The entrance to College Green, an area behind Durham Cathedral mostly overlooked by tourists. Membership of the Historic Houses Association does have it's benefits when you've nothing to do over a long weekend. The ancestral home of the Barnard family captured my imagination on a visit in 2017 and I could hardly wait to get it on paper once home. 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. The Cathedral Central Tower can be seen behind the Church of St Mary's The Less which was founded in 1140 and was principally for the soldiers of the garrison which manned the city walls. 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. 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 scene reminiscent of Jan Bruegel's famous Hunters in The Snow. One of my all time favourite paintings. The steep access on Owengate offers the visitor the first glimpse of the majestic Cathedral. 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. Elvet Bridge built in 1160 by Bishop Hugh de Puiset. Part of the 2014 Durham Cathedral Exhibition. 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. 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.

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

Just around the corner from The Pantheon, people stream back to their accommodation as evening light fades.

A Street in Rome
Watercolour
Size: 528 x 387 mm, 718 x 577 mm o/a.
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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'.

The Rose Window Durham Cathedral
Sepia watercolour over black ink.
Size: 395 x 290 mm, 610 x 495 mm o/a.
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