Star Wars and Manchester United pictures by Meltham artist

Jun 11 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Meltham artist Darren Baker reveals art commissioned for Star Wars creator and Professional Footballers’ Association

MELTHAM artist Darren Baker had to use his imagination to create a scene from a galaxy far, far away for his latest commission.

Darren was challenged with creating a painting depicting the main characters from the Star Wars films, against an original background.

The 18ins by 14ins painting was commissioned for 32-year-old Darren by Cranston Fine Arts in Helensburgh, Scotland.

The gallery, which has exhibited Darren’s work before, was commissioned to secure a painting by Lucasfilm, the company of Star Wars creator George Lucas.

The painting is to be used as part of a Star Wars art exhibition and book, 10 years on from the release of the first film in the second Star Wars trilogy – Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

The book is already out in America and the exhibition is set to be held in Los Angeles in July.

The painting took Darren six weeks to complete, including sketches.

He said: “It was a challenge to come up with an original landscape but it was an interesting commission.”

Darren has also just completed another big commission for the Professional Footballers’ Association.

It is a mural of a football crowd at a fictional England game at the new Wembley Stadium.

Faces in the crowd include members of the PFA, winners of the Association’s awards and football characters from Manchester, where the PFA was founded.

The 3ft by 2ft mural will be unveiled on June 22 at the new Manchester Children’s Hospital.

The PFA raised £1m towards the hospital on Oxford Road and is also having a plaque displayed along with the mural.

Darren started work on the mural in March.

He said: “This and the Star Wars painting have been two big commissions. It’s terrific, a good year so far.”

Darren has worked for the PFA before and is known for his detailed artistic studies of sporting legends like Sir Matt Busby, George Best and Kelly Holmes.