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. One of my very rare forays into portraiture. 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 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. The Cathdral from College Green, an area behind Durham Cathedral mostly overlooked by tourists and home to the Cathedral clergy. 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. A meeting place for locals, tourists and bikers alike, the square which is surrounded with a pleasing mix of architectural styles, is the hub of this thriving Swaledale market town. One of 3 new works for 2021 depicting this villa most famous for the A list celebrities who have visited it over many years. These include Winston Churchill, Greta Garbo and T S Eliot. However, my wife and I traveled there on the strength of seeing the villa depicted on The Trip to Italy with comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. 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. Everything about Girona Cathedral is an inspiration, not least this glorious doorway! St Mary's Anglican Church in the former Durham mining village of Horden celebrated it's centenary on Friday 26th of April 2013. The painting was commissioned by Reverend Father Kevin Smith and the Church Council to permanently mark the event and was unveiled by the Bishops of Jarrow and Beverley. 16thc Horden Hall looms over the once thriving farm buildings. 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. Short summary of Oxford Crossing the river Avon, Pulteney bridge designed by Robert Adam was completed in 1773. It is one of only four bridges in the world having shops across the full span on either side of the bridge thoroughfare. I wanted to paint this view of Elvet bridge from Prince Bishop's Car Park for ages and only it's complexity put me off, though eventually I couldn't resist the challenge.

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

This Venetian church which lies in the cestiere Cannaregio was founded in the 10th century. Part of the 2014 Durham Cathedral exhibition.

The Church of Santa Maria Misericordia Venice
watercolour
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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
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