Toby Boothman
Meticulous and highly realistic paintings on yachting subjects by the distinguished marine artist Toby Boothman.
Toby Boothman was born in Bristol in 1973, and began training under Master Patrick Betaudier in Monflanquin, France at the Atelier Neo Medici. Since then, his career has flourished both in the UK and internationally. With his studio based in the South of France, Boothman's inspiration from and love of the open water emanates from his work, reflecting the beauty and the light of his surroundings in the Gulf of St Tropez.
Boothman's modern approach takes roots in a Renaissance style allowing him to capture stunning realism in his nautical scenes. His dynamic depictions feature boats at sea with remarkable accuracy and clarity.
He has a passion for classic boats, many of them built in the 1930s and then restored to their former glory. Many paintings show the vessels competing in the Voiles de Saint Tropez regatta where they are sailed to their limits. Boothman likes to be out on the high seas during the races where anything can happen, and he can capture the vessels in action. He has witnessed collisions, masts snapping in two and man overboard.
Some of Boothman's paintings depict crew members; miniature portraits captured while the sailors await the start of a race. Other depictions are more dramatic and urgent, rendering the choreographed drama of the crew at work. Others focus on the boats set against a backdrop of water and sunlight. The unifying constant is Boothman's mastery of light, reflected on water, shining through the sails, illuminating his characters and bathing everything it touches in brilliance.
Toby exhibits regularly in the UK and in France, and his paintings are held in private collections around the world, including a number on display in the Capitainerie de St Tropez.
It is possible to commission a painting - recently he has been working on commissions for private individuals and special commissions for Superyacht and jet interiors. Please contact Julian Thomas for details.
At first glance, the realism of Boothman's work can be mistaken as photographic; so detailed are his depictions. When seen up-close the paint on canvas emerges in a mastery of brushstrokes. One critic observed 'Some artists paint boats, some artists paint people, few can do both with precision. Boothman certainly can.'
Out on the sprit off St Tropez - Kelpie - Oil on canvas