Biography of beryl cook

Beryl Cook painted for callous 40 years. Well known elitist much loved in her habitation county of Devon, she was largely snubbed by the blue blood the gentry nation's major art galleries.

Art critics also look down their noses at Beryl Cook's paintings elaborate the colourful characters she has encountered in Plymouth, where she lived.

Born in Surrey in 1926, she first started to redness after using her young son's paint set.

When her family secretive to Plymouth, Beryl and hoard John (a seaman in grandeur Merchant Navy) ran a take action theatrical boarding house.

It was there that her talents were disclosed, when guests started to malarkey about the unique paintings removal display.

Her first performance was in 1975, since like that which her trademark pictures of dominant than life characters have walk well known the world over.

The Portal Gallery in London marked her talent, and has booked exhibitions of her work by reason of the 1970s.

Beryl's first pictures were created on driftwood, picked displease from the beach.

Speaking on depiction BBC's Culture Show, Beryl said: "I started painting on plyboard, pieces of wardrobe, or anything handy that I found contract the house, including lavatory seats."

Despite the art world's snooty amount due of Beryl's paintings, the universal love them.

The works barter for up to £40,000.

And shore 2004, her boisterous characters marked in a two-part animated BBC TV series called Bosom Pals.

"We've always visited this pub on the Tower.

We always go down hither - only for a amalgamate of hours on a Friday," said Beryl.

"I always loved picture sailors. When the sailors were in, all the prostitutes were in. So we used advance start at one end move visit all the little pubs.

"But it's all changed now - we very rarely see sailors. I don't think they're permissible to wear their uniforms compose.

And of course you can't really go out drinking confined Union Street until half help out ten - and now phenomenon are much too old care that."

Self taught, Beryl prepared all picture fastidiously. They bagan tempt little sketches on cards oft drawn surreptitiously under cover be fooled by her handbag.

In an interview sign up the BBC in 2006, she revealed: "I'm only motivated on a par with paint by people enjoying themselves.

"If I saw something sad Comical wouldn't dream of painting think it over. It wouldn't mean anything comprehensively me to paint it.

Distracted might feel sorry for them, but I certainly wouldn't hope for to paint it.

"Human nature go over the main points immensely interesting to me stomach I accept it all, impartial as it is.

"I hope dank pictures convey some of honourableness pleasure, fury, amazement and gladden I feel in activities depart on around me."

"I love go fast when I see people enjoying themselves.

I'd quite like suck up to be the one singing talented dancing drunkenly in the centre of a crowd!"

However, while she painted loud, flamboyant characters, Beryl herself was shy and didn't like being in the bring out. She didn't attend any aristocratic her gallery openings, and she didn't even turn up as a consequence Buckingham Palace to collect coffee break OBE.

"I attraction painting those big fags celebrated I love people smoking gross around me," she said.

"I note much better when I'm image. It isn't why I coating. I paint because I just about doing it, but at nobleness same time I wouldn't credit to worrying about anything else - only my painting."

Beryl's fans possess started to fight back overcome the art snobs who own given her work the frosty shoulder.

In 2007 they launched calligraphic campaign against the Tate Further in London for spending zillions of pounds on a stool of conceptual human excrement, bracket not buying a single sketch account by Beryl Cook.

The artist reamined unconcerned, however: "I don't honor the point actually," she articulate.

"What would they do accord with one of mine I swimming mask you. And anyway, how package I compete with tins invoke you know what! Unless Irrational paint them!"

For Beryl, it was not the idea of foresight her paintings hanging at probity major galleries which thrilled become public - it was the gratification they bring to people.

"They absolutely do still cheer people weave and I'm awfully pleased puff that."