Artist Morris Riley captures Fartown memories on canvas

Oct 20 2009 by Chris Roberts, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

POPULAR artist Morris Riley is widely regarded as the Lowry of Rugby League.

Now the well-known artist has produced a series of paintings depicting the famous old Fartown ground.

It was the home of Huddersfield Rugby League Club from 1878 to 1992 before the move to the Galpharm Stadium, where the Huddersfield Giants are now based.

But the Kirklees Council-owned ground is still a home for rugby. It is used by amateur RL club St Joseph’s.

Riley was born in Warrington in 1951 and gained his BA in Visual Arts at Bolton Institute, in 1996. He went on to lecture Art in the Collegiate, Warrington, until he became a professional artist in 2004. He gained a reputation for his figurative work, and historic imagery of Rugby League Football, of which he is a huge fan.

The Fartown works have been produced using a variety of mediums, including oil on canvas, charcoal on water colour paper, pastel paintings, acrylic on canvass and a pencil drawing.

And Riley is delighted he has been able to find the time to produce a series devoted to one of his favourite rugby league venues.