A brief history of artist Beryl Cook
Beryl Cook is considered to be one of England’s most loved artists, making paintings and sculptures that didn’t alienate anyone. Beryl simply painted pictures of everyday life and people that she would see around her. Her artwork ranges from women getting on the bus for a night out to the dustbin men coming to pick up the rubbish in the morning. Beryl was an everyday person; this could be seen in her artwork and is why she is loved so much by people in the UK.
Beryl first met her husband John Cook across the road from her house in Surrey and they started a relationship when they were 15 years old. John was signed up in order to serve his country during the war as a member of the Merchant Navy. They kept in touch while he was away and when he returned in 1948 they got married but it wasn’t until Beryl’s son John was born that she discovered her talent. In 1950 John was born and soon after the new family moved to what is now Zimbabwe. Over the 9 years that they lived in Zimbabwe, Beryl would use her young child’s paint set to paint the odd picture to pass the time but these were far from the Beryl Cook prints we see today.
When they returned to England John got a job in the motor trade in Bodmin, Devon where they became friends with a local antiques dealer. The antiques dealer loved Beryl’s artwork and asked if she’d be interested in selling some in her antiques shop. All 3 paintings sold quickly and this inspired Beryl to start painting more often and sell her paintings through her friends shop.
Despite never really actively promoting herself or her artwork, Beryl still managed to become a very popular artist. This was mainly down to postcards and prints of her work that were both affordable and non threatening to the people that bought them. It wasn’t until Beryl Cook reached her later life that she became a recognised artist that is loved across the globe.
