Wendy Levy Art Gallery

Wendy Levy Artist by Royal Appointment

Wendy Levy Art Gallery artist Darren Baker has been commissioned to paint the Queen's official portrait to commemorate her 85th birthday in 2011. His incredible attention to detail and almost photographic style caught the attention of the Palace.

Darren is excited about the prospect of this latest challenge. The Palace is currently deciding details but are considering a life-size portrait which would mean a painting three times the size anything he has previously done. The first sittings will be in 2009 and the Queen will be depicted traditionally in the Garter Robes. This is not Darren's first Royal encounter having painted Prince Charles's portrait at St James Palace in 2001. See examples to the right of Darren's work.

The Manchester Art Gallery is the final destination of the ten Leonardo da Vinci drawings on display in celebration of HRH The Prince of Wales' 60th birthday. The ten drawings are the finest examples of Leonardo's sketches from the Royal Collection and the touring exhibition finishes in Manchester having already been shown at the Royal Cornwall Museum, the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum and the National Library of Wales.

These drawings were picked to demonstrate the extraordinary scope of Leonardo's interests as well as his incredible technical skill. The exhibition includes studies for paintings, sculpture and architecture; a beautiful portrait of a young woman, two exquisite studies of a dissected human skull and a magnificent portrayal of an apocalyptic image of a deluge are particularly striking examples. These fascinating works show the materials Leonardo routinely used - metalpoint, pen and ink, brush and ink, watercolour and red and black chalks. These delicate pieces can never be shown permanently due to their fragile nature and potential for damage and usually reside in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle making this exhibition particularly exciting. The drawings will be on display at the Manchester Art Gallery from the 14th February - 4th May 2009.