Bartholomew took up his residency straight from Wimbledon College of Art, where he graduated with in 2012 with First Class Honours.  Particularly interested in figurative painting and that which goes beyond portraiture, the direction of his residency took him delving into the fascinating history of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.  What inspired him was not just the mills and landscape, but the tucked-away characters he discovered, inspired initially by hearing folk singer Lucy Ward’s song Alice in the Bacon Box.  Alice is immortalised in one of his most memorable paintings, now part of the Jonathan Vickers Fine Art Award Collection.  Each painting is his attempt to illustrate these historically quiet, yet community renowned figures; to keep their stories and memories alive.