About Beryl Cook Prints
Despite never really actively promoting herself or her artwork, Beryl still managed to become a successful artist. This was mainly down to postcards and prints of her work that were both reasonably priced and accessible to the people that bought them. It wasn’t until her later life that she became an internationally recognised artist that is loved across the globe.
Beryl Cook is one of the UK’s best loved artists, producing art that didn’t alienate anyone. She simply painted everyday images of 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. She 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’s first love was a man called John Cook who lived across the road from her home in Surrey and they began a relationship when they were 15 years old. John was recruited to serve his country during the war as a member of the Merchant Navy. They kept in touch while he was away and then 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 relocated to what is now Zimbabwe. Over the 9 years that they lived in Zimbabwe, Beryl would use her son John’s paint set to paint the odd picture to pass the time.
When they returned to England John found a job in the motor industry 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 begin painting more often and sell her paintings through her friends shop.
Beryl Cook passed away before the summer of 2008. Her husband was shocked by the amount of coverage this event received in the media and the national and global out pour of support and sadness for their family. National newspapers from all over the world reported her death and her husband John has kept a scrap book containing the obituaries. Beryl Cook Prints have since seen an increase in sales and the recent retrospective of her work being held at Plymouth University has received joyful praise as the best way to say goodbye to a much loved artist.
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