E oil paints on large canvases with bold confident yet detailed strokes capturing an ethereal mystical and fantastical world.

She water paints with the tiniest brush I've ever seen and one needs a magnifying glass to fully appreciate the miniscule artistry involved.

For Ralph Boyer and Lesley Hayes, this is definitely a His'n'Hers affair and a fitting title for their latest exhibition at The Attic Space in Kendrick Street Gallery, which combines the work of a prolific and talented couple.

They approach their subjects with the same zest and enthusiasm yet their method of delivery is totally different.

Ralph sketches his paintings in his mind, thinking through the pose, composition and colour schemes.

Lesley plans on paper, mapping out every detail until it's in perfect place.

She needs to be meticulous. Miniature painting has its own set of rules and, as a member of the Hilliards Society in Wells, Somerset, and the Royal Society in London, Lesley has to keep her portraits and subjects within strict boundary lines.

"They have to be two inches by three inches big and painted in watercolour using a series of dots and dashes," says Lesley.

"Often it needs a magnifying glass to look at them but I try to keep mine seeable with the naked eye.

"I often work without my glasses and use a magnifying glass as the society is so pedantic about it being done a certain way."

Rules are rules. And yet within these tough guidelines Lesley has won numerous awards.

The details are stunning. She shows me a few including a portrait of Ralph with his granddaughter; a close up of two hands holding a small toy bunny; and three lemurs with their alluring big eyes. I am mesmerised.

Is it really possible to paint such tiny strokes? Interestingly, it's her brushes which catch my eye. They are 000 and so unlike her partner's hog hair collection.

It's like Gulliver's Travels in their welcoming Randwick cottage.

Upstairs in Lesley's studio, everything is of a Lilliputian scale – capturing the tiniest of gestures and pockets of life we all sadly miss as we go about our daily business. Downstairs in Ralph's spacious workroom overlooking the valley, however, lies a world of Arthurian characters, mythical figures, ethereal beings, pre-Raphaelite heroines and a land of make-believe where anything can happen.

And it's this unique mix of reality and fantasy which makes this place such a fascinating one to be.

Their cottage acts a permanent gallery. Every picture tells a story and demands closer attention. And it's this reaction which will, I am sure, be that of those visiting His'n' Hers at Kendrick Street Gallery.

Brought up in East Ham, Ralph started his working days at 14.

Apart from a spell in the Royal Navy and three years working for an accountant firm, he has spent his entire working life as a commercial artist and since retirement as a professional painter.

His work credentials are impressive. He spent many years designing lettering and specialising in cardboard engineering which involved all stages of package design for leading companies such as Johnson & Johnson baby products, Ford Motor Company, Sheaffer pens and Lentheric Morny of Bond Street.

He's worked at prestigious London studios such as Gilchrist in High Holborn; Barnett Norford in Fleet Street and Alpha Designs in St Bride's Street before setting up his own studio freelancing as a designer.

It was a simple advert in The Campaign to find a graphic design artist which changed both his and Lesley's life. She applied and got the job. That was over 35 years ago.

By day they worked as commercial artists, travelling all over the country.

By night they painted in their own respective styles. It's a joy to see.

Now retired, Ralph spends his time painting what "takes his fantasy".

His paintings are like seeing the pages of a storybook, full of life, colour and hidden meaning.

Undine, a mermaid, says goodbye to her sea friends as she chooses a human existence while numerous depictions of the tales of King Arthur or Perseus and Andromeda are re-enacted on canvas.

Ralph's imaginative mind captures beauty, anguish, joy and reverence.

These images appeal to those who can't put them down on canvas like he can and, therefore, have been snapped up by individuals all over the world.

Lesley is often seen armed with a camera – from her growing collection – taking shots which catch her eye, zooming in to find the details we often miss.

But as well as working small, she enjoys experimenting with mixed media.

It's this playfulness which produces fantastic results and some of this work will also be on display.

Ralph admits: "We don't look at each other's work until the painting is finished.

"When I say to Lesley come and see it, she always says 'but' and she will point out something I may have missed.

"It's a case of giving each other an honest appraisal.

"It's great to be able to talk about our work and because we do such different things, we are not stepping on each other's toes."

I leave inspired and uplifted. But as I do so Ralph asks me a question.

"Can we take your photo?" he asks coyly.

"I would love to put your face in a picture."

I am no pre-Raphaelite beauty. Rather it's my elfin-face he's interested in.

Somehow, I think I might appear as an elf or pixie in one of his amazing paintings.

I may not be the leading heroine but I am still flattered.

Ralph Boyer and Lesley Hayes exhibition His'n' Hers at The Attic Space at Kendrick Street Gallery in Stroud starts on Saturday and runs until March 26.

There is a chance to meet the artists on Saturday March 19 between 2pm and 4pm.