Nigel Kingsbury, Woman, pencil on paper, 2011
‘A fine example of delicate draughtsmanship, but also a compelling work that speaks of nuanced attitudes to women, and has a mystical quality’ – Simon Martin, Director of Pallant House Gallery A prolific artist, Nigel Kingsbury spent over ten years as a resident artist with London based charity ActionSpace, who support artists with learning disabilities. Having sadly passed away in 2016, Nigel has left a lasting legacy of artworks depicting his main inspiration – the female form – idolising the figure in a unique and carefully observed manner. He created delicate portraits of women, depicting them as mystical goddesses with heaving bosoms, attired in glamorous ball gowns and floating dresses. Nigel’s drawings have a mysterious quality that transcend time, each carrying the dedication “Loves Nigel” or ” Nigel Loves” followed by an abundance of kisses. Michelle Roberts, Crufts Dog Show, brush pen on canvas, 2015 Michelle Roberts has drawn and painted throughout her life. As a young girl, she accompanied her grandfather, a landscape painter, creating artworks outdoors. Carrying around a sketch book at all times, Michelle has refined a dense and highly personalized approach to image making. Working methodically across each canvas, section by section, she creates colourful and complex worlds that each have a distinct logic and meaning. Focussed, 1:1 attention has enabled her to communicate detailed narratives about these worlds and how they connect to her own life. Volunteering in a charity shop and assisting in a nursery, many of the people and experiences Michelle encounters are directly translated into her work. Michelle began working with Project Art Works in 2005 and since joining Mentoring Studios in 2009. Aradne, The Gathering, machine embroidery, 2015 ‘The Gathering is a secret meeting of unearthly creatures in an alternative world that exists in my imagination, which I hope conveys my love of dark myths and fairy tales. It is also a reflection of my unique childhood in Africa’ – the artist 

Aradne considers her work as drawings in stitch, using machine embroidery techniques to create figures, birds, insects, flowers and text that come together in reticulate structures. She always stitches automatically straight onto the fabric, without drawing them first, with the images stemming from her childhood and the world of her imagination. These ideas are then experimented on and developed so that the piece is forever changing, until Aradne is satisfied that the message she wishes to convey is communicated.