Art for the soul: Millie Roberts

Spring is nearly here…

Rarely has the word ‘nearly’ felt so cruel as it does in this long, dark winter of Lockdown the Third. But there they are: the daffodils under perma-grey skies.

We put out the call for you to nominate artists whose work has lifted your spirits in these somewhat dingy times, and are delighted to give them recognition here. If you missed the call, there’s still time to get involved – simply go to the Mancunion Instagram page, find the relevant post and put your chosen artist’s handle in the comments.

‘What a bloody woman’

Millie Roberts, our first featured artist, told us:

“I moved from the Wirral to Manchester to study film, and recently graduated. I was motivated to start painting last year at first out of boredom. To escape the first lockdown, I needed something to lose myself in.

“I started to watch Grayson Perry’s Art Club on Channel 4 and was inspired by the eclecticism of art forms on display. It showed me that art could be so much more than just ‘staying within the lines’, which is, sadly, what our education system often teaches us.

“I always paint with acrylic and spray paint onto canvases or in my sketchbook. Thanks for sharing!”

Reece, who nominated Millie, told us that he was especially pleased with a commission Millie produced for him: an abstract painting inspired by the track ‘I’m Scum’ by the band IDLES. So much so that he now proudly has a work emblazoned with the words I’M SCUM as his Zoom background (it makes a change from your average stock photo, I suppose.)

You can see more of Millie’s work @rebelfineart

If you have an artist who you’d like to nominate for ‘art for the soul’, check out the Mancunion Instagram – or drop me a line!