by Tabby Booth.
Waxed acrylic on cradled wood panel.
Dimensions: 21 x 14.8 x 1.7 cm.
Having studied illustration at Central Saint Martins, Tabby Booth went on to found the Nationwide franchise Cygnets Art School in 2015, as well as Sailors Jail Gallery in 2023. Her work treads an interesting parallel path between illustration and raw, traditional painting – exploring themes of mythology, mysticism, and the sea. A fascination with folk and outsider art, combined with a passion for interiors, results in bold yet playful imagery. Paint is laid primitively onto bare wood in layers, sharp tools scratch rawly into the paint, revealing texture like scrimshaw, the tool slips as she goes, and these are the best parts. Layers of wax mattify and mute: revealing a found treasure from a lost civilisation.