Leslie Marr, who has died aged 98, was a painter of vibrant landscapes – who “sought out wild places” – and flowerscapes of swift, sparring brushwork. Over many decades he painted in remote areas in Scotland, Wales, Devon, France, Greece and New Zealand, in often challenging weather conditions. I interviewed Leslie a number of times in recent years, and write about his art.
Leslie was born in Durham to Amelia (nee Thompson), a pioneering early motorist, and Col John Marr, who had been an officer in the first world war, and was managing director of the Laing shipbuilding firm in Sunderland. Aged 10 Leslie inherited a baronetcy from his grandfather Sir James Marr on his death in 1932 (his father having died the previous year) but did not use the title.