Short summary of Durham Cathedral from Court Inn The Avon water taxi stop at Batheaston Mill is a favoured spot for fly fishing. Described by the famous 18th century author Horace Walpole in a letter to George Montague, 'the Avon falling in a wide cascade' it is little changed.
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.

The River Wear slides slowly bye rowing club pontoons whilst wood smoke curls upwards from burning logs. Opened in 1966 the Grade 1 listed structure designed by Sir Ove Arup, links the historic peninsular to Dunelm House on Old Elvet. 16thc Horden Hall looms over the once thriving farm buildings. The ancient medieval arched entrance to the College an area behind the Cathedral which is the home of the clergy and the Chorister School. Part of the 2014 Durham Cathedral Exhibition. The picturesque Old Mill Hotel stands adjacent to Bathampton Toll Bridge on the River Avon 3 miles from Bath. The bridge is one of only a handfull still operational in the country. The main door to the Cathedral adorned with an exact replica of the world famous medieval Sanctury Knocker 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. This distressed facade adds to the charm of one of the many palazzios to be found on the back waters of Venice.
The view of the Cathedral most often overlooked by tourists and visitors. Visitors linger on the snow covered green as light fades.

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

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.

Bow Lane Durham City
Watercolour
Size: size 380 x 330mm
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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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