Meet Tabby Booth and Her Folklore Inspired Art

My work tends to tread an interesting line between illustration, and raw textured paintings. Having studied illustration at St Martins, I quickly became disillusioned with the idea of being a commercial illustrator, and definitely think of myself more as a traditional artist. However my work is intrinsically illustrative in style, and I think it’s probably that crossover of the two that people like.

I work very quickly and don’t like to think too much about what I’m doing, letting the image reveal itself as I go. My paintings are done directly onto wood, using layers of paint and a method called sgraffito to scratch off detail, before finishing with a wax. My illustrations usually start off by hand, with wax crayons and ink, then are finished digitally to get them ready for print.

‘Roma Woman with Baby’ by Modigliani. As a child I was obsessed with Modigliani’s long faces and almond eyes, and particularly this painting. I’ve always had a fascination with Roma culture, and have recently bought an old vardo wagon for the garden.

Quentin Blake’s series of Women Holding Strange Creatures. There’s a reason Quentin is number one. No one compares to him in terms of creating such character in his lines. This lesser known series of drawings has always been my favourite: the combination of female nudes and general furry creatures is just dreamy.

Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights. I remember so clearly seeing a Bosch for the first time in real life whilst on a school trip, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it: it was Bosch who taught me that darkness in painting, but with a subtle hint of humour. 

Could You Give Us Tips On How To Incorporate Art Into Your Home?

For me it’s all about an interesting mix of things: paintings, prints, photography and even objects hung up, or postcards taped to the wall. I think a lot of people make the mistake of thinking everything has to be professionally framed, but if an image brings you joy then you should just get it up there, however you can!

You’ve been working on two incredible projects. Can you tell us more about the Cygnets Art School? And the incredible Sailors Jail - that is dating back to 1666!

My husband Hessy and I founded Cygnets Art School back in 2015, and it’s the UK’s only fine art school franchise for children. We teach traditional drawing, painting and sculpture techniques, and now have 30 branches across the country! It also provides an opportunity for creatives to open their own art school. We then opened Sailors Jail Gallery in Falmouth last year (2023), which is an alternative art gallery showcasing unique work from Cornish and Cornwall-based artists. It’s housed in the original sailors’ jail from 1666 and is a fantastic space. We have been so busy with Cygnets and having kids for the past ten years, which has been great, but opening the gallery has given us a reason to start creating and selling our own work again as well, which I’ve really loved.