Darren Baker. Albert the Handydog

Since his official portrait of Her Majesty The Queen was unveiled in 2011, Royal artist Darren Baker has been tirelessly fundraising for a charitable organisation very close to his heart - The Prince’s Trust. Now, displaying his talent for the first time as a masterful illustrator,Darren Baker has created an incredible collection of captivating artwork for Albert The Handydog, a heartwarming children’s book for 8-12 year olds. With all proceeds from the sale of the artwork and the book itself going straight to The Prince’s Trust, Albert is set to become a playground favourite and an ongoing benefit to those in need of support from The Trust.

About Albert The Handydog

Albert the ‘Handydog’ is having a tough day at work and things are about to get even worse from him!

Arriving home, ready for a relaxing bubble bath, he is greeted with the unwelcome news that his owners have some very obnoxious guests staying the night and they don’t seem to like dogs one bit!

Unable to stop himself from getting in the way, Albert finds himself thrown outside without any dinner and only a leaky kennel to protect him from the rain.

A failed attempt to sneak back into the house ends in Albert being mistaken for an intruder and the police being called, so our poor, dejected dog searches for somewhere else to spend the night.

Finding an unlocked door on the visitors’ car, Albert begins reading his favourite bedtime story, using the light in the car to ensure he doesn’t strain his eyes. Being so tired from work however, he falls asleep and awakes in the morning to the realisation that he has run the battery flat.

Panic ensues with the visitors terribly angry they may miss a very important meeting and Albert’s owners desperate to ensure they don’t have to stay another night. Luckily Albert saves the day and redeems himself with the help of some trusty jump leads and finally gets to enjoy his bubble bath.

Darren Baker has received numerous awards including The Garrick Prize at Christies, London. He also enjoys a range of artistic appointments including Official Artist to the Professional Footballers’ Association (the PFA) and Official Artist to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He is now acknowledged as one of the leading painters of the classical realism genre, and his style displays the influences of both the Dutch Masters and the contemporary realist school.