Bow Lane is reputed to be the route that William the Conqueror took when leaving the city after visiting the coffin of Saint Cuthbert in Durham Cathedral. At that time it lead down to a ford across the River Wear, but now leads to Kingsgate Bridge, a superbly elegant concrete structure designed by Ove Arup and completed in 1963. I consider this my take on Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. Located at the West end of the Cathedral, it's design is heavily influenced by Islamic architecture. 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 . 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. This Venetian church which lies in the cestiere Cannaregio was founded in the 10th century. Part of the 2014 Durham Cathedral exhibition. Short summary of Durham Cathedral from Court Inn 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.

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. Short summary of Durham Cathedral Visitors linger on the snow covered green as light fades. 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. 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.

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

I enjoy replicating the pattern of shadows in strong sunlight.

Former Warehouses on the Thames
Watercolour
Size: 570mm x 385mm
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This commissioned painting was produced to commemorate the passing of a Durham man who's ashes were deposited in the river in 2019.

Durham Cathedral from the River Wear
Watercolour
Size: 490mm x 325mm
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