The ancient water tower is in the foreground with the arched entrance to the Choristers School behind.
A beautiful day relaxing on College Green The magnificent castle and Cathedral dominate the skyline above the river on a bitterly cold winters day. A gift to a close friend to commemorate his 25 years service in the Anglican Church. Founded by Elizabeth the First in 1571 for the education of the clergy, the College alumni include T E Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) and twice British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson . 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 view of the Cathedral most often overlooked by tourists and visitors. 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. We came across this famous North Norfolk structure whilst laying the ground for a commissioned painting of the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in 2017. However the dramatic sky-scape was inspired by a previous visit, whilst motoring from Ely to Cromer across outherwise featureless open fenland. An apocalyptic storm was brewing some distance away across ploughed fields and I pulled over to enjoy the spectacle and take a few snaps. The billowing clouds had yet to touch the ground and a bright strip of sky formed a band across the horizon. These storms are a feature of the Norfolk landscape and I couldn't resist using what I'd seen to add drama to the Cley painting. The Cathdral from College Green, an area behind Durham Cathedral mostly overlooked by tourists and home to the Cathedral clergy. The attic bedroom of Charles Paget Wade an extraordinary man with a passion for collecting. Let nothing perish was his motto which but hints at a life dedicated to finding and restoring beautiful objects whether common or extraordinary.
He packed these into the Cotswold manor house which he bought and renovated for the purpose. From toys, Samurai armour, musical instruments to fine clocks, thousands of treasures are still exhibited just as Mr Wade intended. 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 former palace, situated on
the hill below Prague Castle, is now the
Italian Embassy.
The painting is one of two shortlisted in the 2016 Sunday Times Watercolour Competition.

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.

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

16thc Horden Hall looms over the once thriving farm buildings.

Horden Hall Farm, County Durham.
Watercolour
Size: 540mm x 315mm
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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.

St Oswalds Durham City
Watercolour
Size: ...
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