This engineer turned artist has an eye for detail that adds a layer of convincing authenticity to his work
Engineers who paint are a rare breed, but this combination of talents gives Stuart Boothʼs work a special dynamic. As a result of his background as an aircraft structural specialist working on Concorde, his subjects really look as if they work. “I fancied myself as a race-car designer,” says Stuart. “My home drawing board was full of designs for complex Formula One engines, but my application to join Lotus got nowhere.”
Stuart worked at Thornton Aviation, where he witnessed Concordeʼs first flight and its last. When he was offered voluntary redundancy in the ʼ80s, he decided to go full-time as an artist. “I had always produced drawings and paintings,” he says. “My subjects included aviation, marine and rail, but motorsport remained my main inspiration. George Oliverʼs illustrations in The Racing Car: Development & Design were a key reference, while Michael Turner was a big influence on me. I also admire Alfredo de la Mariaʼs style and sometimes try to copy his technique for moving wheels.”
Stuart drew from an early age, and while at grammar school he enjoyed art club: “My first car was an MG TC before I switched to a Mini Cooper.” Colour blindness eventually frustrated his ambition to learn to fly, but it was never a handicap for his painting.
Watching the 1954 British Grand Prix on a black-and-white TV set ignited the interest in motorsport. “Graham Hill was an early hero, but Jim Clark was on a different level,” Stuart remembers. “Colin Chapman was another favourite, and complex engines such as the BRM H16 really fascinated me.
“After a move to Bristol for my work, Castle Combe became the local circuit. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone was a highlight, but I now find most modern race tracks too bland. I am happiest painting F1 and sports-car racing from the ʼ50s through to the ʼ80s, but Iʼll happily tackle any era – current projects include the 1957 Pescara GP and the 2023 Singapore GP. Often, discovering a famous racer at the Goodwood Festival of Speed will inspire me. The spectacular Ferrari 315 set me of
