C.C. Barton | At Play in the Imagination

Lepin Aux Cerises, Etching/Watercolor 13"x8"
Lapin Aux Cerises, Etching/Watercolor 13″x8″

By Gussie Fauntleroy


NOTED PSYCHOLOGIST CARL JUNG ONCE SAID, “The creative mind plays with the object it loves.” For artist and printmaker C.C. Barton, that object is the humble pencil. Barton finds joy in drawing, though her relationship with artistic endeavors hasn’t always been playful—early attempts often brought a level of frustration. Off and on over the years she would invite drawing back into her life, only to put it away again in disappointment.

Then came a surprising breakthrough that transcended reason or logic, and a subsequent epiphany set the Barton clearly on her artistic path. In the 15 years since then, Barton’s work has been widely collected and honored with numerous exhibitions and awards, especially her watercolor-enhanced etchings of animals. The Santa Fe, NM-based artist renders the plump contours of furry rabbits or sleeping cats, the curling tendrils of vines, and the rich colors of flowers and fruit with exquisite delicacy.

Her talent extends to the written word as well, and the 60-year-old artist is known to incorporate original poetry into some of her work, giving it added emotional depth…


Featured in April 2007

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