ONE of Yorkshire’s most successful artists is moving down south.

Darren Baker, 34, of Meltham, will be trading the Pennines for the Cotswolds at the end of this month.

Darren, who is set to paint the Queen in autumn, is moving to be closer to London where he paints many of his commissions.

But he will continue to use his workshop in Meltham when he returns to see family and friends.

Offers of exhibitions and commissions in the South and Midlands have grown over the past six months, prompting Darren to decide to move to the idyllic village of Moreton-in-Marsh, near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire.

The move will also allow Darren’s wife Abigail to commute to work in Warwick.

Darren, who is set to paint England footballers Wayne Rooney and James Milner as an official FA artist, will build a new workshop at his new home.

He said: “It’s happened quite quickly in the last six months. It’s just been a sequence of events.

“I hope to visit quite often when there’s an exhibition and family stuff. You never lose your roots.

“The Cotswolds is more convenient for me and there’s a lovely gallery network there.

“I’m going to miss Huddersfield. I’ve lived here all my life but it’s not like I’m leaving the planet.

“I’m really looking forward to moving. There’s lots of opportunity and plenty of countryside.”

And is Darren ready for the move?

He says: “No. Nothing is in boxes at the moment. We’ll leave it to the last minute!”

Last week Darren was on a panel in Manchester judging art from schools across the North of England.

Baker has painted commissioned portraits of top sportsmen and HRH Prince Charles.

He was appointed as an ambassador for Welcome to Yorkshire, the Yorkshire tourist board, in June.