Cynthia Barlow Marrs

The Fishbone Tree

From the Lunar series.

Original
Graphite pencil on paper
17.5cm x 17.5cm

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Kylie and Johnny

Kylie the wasp-waisted Spitz and Johnny the "Every day is a great hair day" Dachshund live in Chicago. We've never met, but I've heard a lot about them. When I was commissioned to create their double portrait, I had reference photographs for each animal on its own, but none showing the two of them together. I've positioned the dogs facing each other in a head and shoulders composition that I hope not only captures the personality of each animal, but also suggests something of the special relationship between them.

Original
Graphite on Bristol board
18cm x 28cm

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Fossil 2

When I was a child in Topeka, Kansas, fossils littered the margins of our school playground. We'd loiter at the fenceline, picking mineralized segmented plant stems out of grass and gravel and crushing them between our fingers. Then we'd brush our hands and rush off to skip rope. The idea that our known world had once been fathoms deep underwater, and that a gentle rain of millions of tiny plants and animals had quietly turned to stone there, still fascinates.

Original
Drawing ink and acrylic ink on water colour paper
34.5cm x 21cm

£175.00

Fossil 1

Original
Ink on water colour paper
24.5cm x 22cm

£200.00 Framed

Spots Are In This Season

I'm a hunter of horizon lines. When I spot one amongst random marks in the studio, I turn it upside down and shake everything out of its pockets, looking for the key to that other world.

And then I turn it sideways, and sometimes that's when things click into place.

Original
Charcoal and pen on Bristol Board
24.5cm x 29.5cm

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Tobacco Shed (work in progress)

Original
Ink on Paper

POA

Winter Moon 1

From the Lunar series.

Original
Graphite on paper
18cm x 18cm

£85.00

Mangrove

Original
Graphite on Bristol Board
12.5cm x 18cm

£65.00

Winter Stag 2

The second Winter Stag, inspired by Windsor Great Park, from the Lunar series.

I have been fascinated by deer since the age of eight, when my teacher set me the task of creating near life-size tempera-painted reindeer for our school's Christmas play. I cannot recall how I dealt with the antlers, which would have been at risk of flopping over, but Rudolph's beacon-like nose was a great success.

Original
Graphite on paper
18cm x 18cm

£85.00

Winter Stag 1

From the Lunar series

Original
Graphite on paper
18cm x 18cm

POA

Leaping Dog

First drawing in the Chinese zodiac series.

Original
Graphite on Bristol Board
9.5cm x 9.5cm

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Sail (work in progress)

Original
Pen and ink and charcoal on cut paper
15cm x 12cm

POA

Confetti Tree

Winter landscape

Original
Graphite on paper
10.2cm x 5.8cm

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Winter Moon 2

Second in a series of seasonal landscape drawings.

Original
Graphite on paper
18cm x 18cm

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Armchair Gardener (detail)

Graphite drawing

Female nude

Graphite drawing

Original

Male nude (detail)

When I was a 19 year old fine art undergraduate, the art department brought in a terrific model for life drawing classes. Unusually for a male subject, this one had great curves and a wonderful head of frizzy hair. Only a handful of drawings survive from this period, but this is my favourite.

Original
Conte crayon on newsprint

Nancy (detail)

Graphite drawing

Stand (detail)

Seated Nude

Original
Conte crayon
24cm x 18cm

Girl in Turban (detail)

Original
Conte crayon on paper

Head in hands (detail)

Original
Conte crayon on paper