Sheep take shelter on this coastal County Durham farm. The magnificent castle and Cathedral dominate the skyline above the river on a bitterly cold winters day. Everything about Girona Cathedral is an inspiration, not least this glorious doorway! The top of this truncated lane exits onto Palace Green. Looking up as I always do when walking around a great city, this otherwise ignored facade captured my imagination and became one of two shortlisted in the 2016 Sunday Times Watercolour Competition. This the third of the Villa Cimbrone paintings depicts a sunny hidden cloister with charming twisted columns. 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. 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 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. One of the jewels of Oxford, the Clarendon was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor and built between 1711 and 1713 to house the Oxford University Press. The building lies adjacent the Sheldonian Theatre which was designed by Hawkmoor's mentor and tutor Sir Christopher Wren. I was fascinated by this giant mechanism during a trip up the Thames in 2019. This image was taken prior to shading in the figures. Those interested in purchasing should contact Stuart for an updated image. 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.

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 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.

Durham Cathedral, Sanctuary Knocker (ice)
watercolour
Size:
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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.

Bruegel's Piper
Watercolour
Size: 400mm x 300mm
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