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. The ancient water tower is in the foreground with the arched entrance to the Choristers School behind. This the third of the Villa Cimbrone paintings depicts a sunny hidden cloister with charming twisted columns. 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 steep access on Owengate offers the visitor the first glimpse of the majestic Cathedral. Elvet Bridge built in 1160 by Bishop Hugh de Puiset. Part of the 2014 Durham Cathedral Exhibition. 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. 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. 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. I consider this my take on Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. This distressed facade adds to the charm of one of the many palazzios to be found on the back waters of Venice. This giant water wheel is part of the Killhope Lead Mining Museum located in the North Pennines area of County Durham. At one time in the late 19th century, the mine was one of the most productive in Britain. Little did my patron realise when commissioning the painting, that in another life, I was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of the museum's visitor centre. The entrance to the castle on a bright autumn afternoon. 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. This commissioned painting was produced to commemorate the passing of a Durham man who's ashes were deposited in the river in 2019. This ancient centre of Durham City is the crossroads of Silver Street, Saddler Street and Claypath. The statue of Neptune which was originally erected in 1729 can just be observed behind the carousel.

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 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 Back Street in Siena.
Watercolour
Size: 300 x 400mm.
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This ancient water tower is situated in the College precinct between the Chorister School and former Cathedral Kitchen.

The Water Tower
watercolour
Size:
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