A few days ago a friend and fellow blogger on WP suggested I look into a woman artist from the United Kingdom who I did not know, and I certainly did and here she is: Beryl Cook. She was born on September 10 of 1926 in Egham, Surrey, England, and although she claimed not to have had any «formal» art training, she painted very well. Her paintings are of everyday people, sometimes a bit bizarre but almost always with a comical twist.
Although her bulky figures might remind one of Botero, (another one who claimed to be self-taught), in my opinion Cook’s work is much more interesting. She painted volume in her outlandish and extroverted characters. Beryl Cook was influenced, according to her own words, by the work of Sir Stanley Spencer and Edward Burra, both highly trained and successful British painters.
Cook moved to Plymouth in 1968 and at the Plymouth Arts Centre had her first exhibition. The success of that exhibition led to her being contracted to the Portal Gallery in London (1976) where she exhibited until her death in 2008. In 1995 she was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Channel 4 News produced, in 2005, a short film of her work and the Royal Mail used one of her paintings for a first class postage stamp.
Although I did not know much about this painter, she is certainly well known in the UK and her work has achieved a wide level of success. Can it be that because she is a woman artist she has not been taken as seriously as men in Art History? I don’t know. But her country did take her seriously. So I ask myself, why did I not hear of her in Art School? In any event, I like her work and I wanted to share it with you and find out what you think.
I would highly suggest that if you are interested in art, either as an artist, student, lover of art or collector, that you look further into the work of Beryl Cook.
CHEERS – CHEERS – CHEERS
(Thank you M.)
JaZzArt en València 
She painted characters and was a character herself F. She mingled with the people she painted and built up a rapport with the community. A fun artist with talent.
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Yes! I certainly did like her work and the way she did it! Thanks so much my friend for the tip! All the best to you!
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Great! You too Francesc
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All the best!
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Fun additional info, Malc. Dud you ever meet her?
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I’m sorry to say that Beryl Cook managed to avoid me Pat. She often drank in the Dolphin on Plymouth’s Barbican, which was a place I often frequented (the middle painting). It was (and still is) a pub full of characters and lot of her inspiration came from the people around there.
One Barbican artist I did meet though was Robert Lenkiewicz, a larger than life character who painted taboo subjects that the down to earth people of Plymouth loved but the establishment in London didn’t. He’s also worth checking out.
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Interesting Malc…
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If you haven’t heard of him, take a look and let me know what you think.
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Of who?
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Robert Lenkiewicz as mentioned in the reply to Pat above
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Oh, sorry, I haven’t gotten to her reply yet, but yes, I had heard of him, seen a couple of his paintings online, but do not know much about him, but I will now. Thanks again my friend!
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Sounds good. You do hang with an interesting group. 😉
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😁
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Thanks for the intro. Her painting indicates she’d have been fun to chat up
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Hi Francisco. Always amazed by your Blogposts. You allow me to remind me who I am and not get lost in the crowds.
I owe you so much, more than words, poems, books, jokes, paintings, dolls, etc…. congratulations!!
And thank you once again!
Happy Christmas and I hope I can see you again, but not in the crowds…. my dad always said that crowds can be dangerous…God bless and Happy Christmas!!! Xxx Sandra xxx
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Thank you so very much Sandra for your kind words, they mean a lot and I greatly appreciate them. And you are right, I do not like crowds as well. Happy Christmas to you and all the best!
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I really like this one, Francisco. I was put off by Botero’s work.
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I think her work is very interesting while Botero’s for me is simply boring… Thank you Pat!
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Very welcome, Francisco.
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Thank you, dear Francisco!!! Xxx
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You’re very welcome!
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A visual humorist worthy of being taken seriously.
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Definitely 💯 Thank you Mitch!
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Ich wünsch euch eine schöne Zeit …[🌴….🏃]…
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Francisco, your exploration of Beryl Cook’s work is truly enlightening. I appreciate how you highlighted her self-taught background and the unique, voluminous style of her figures, reminiscent yet distinct from Botero. It’s intriguing how Cook, despite her lack of formal training, drew inspiration from renowned artists like Sir Stanley Spencer and Edward Burra. Your point about gender possibly affecting her recognition in Art History is thought-provoking. It’s a reminder of the often-overlooked contributions of women in art. Your discovery and sharing of Cook’s work, especially the pieces like “Tea in the Garden,” have certainly piqued my interest in her vibrant and comical portrayal of everyday life.
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Thank you very much for your words Michael. I find her work creative, entertaining and extremely well done. Self taught? Well, we all learn from someone or something so I value her education as I would one gained at uni. And I have to say that I owe this post to a good friend/fellow blogger from the UK who brought her to my attention. Unfortunately at uni (in the US) I was never told anything about her… all the best Michael and a great Christmas weekend to you!
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Merry Christmas, Francisco, to you and yours.
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Nice post
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Thank you so very much!
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