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28/05/2008
Plymouth Artist Dies 'Peacefully'
Plymouth artist, Beryl Cook has died at the age of 81.
Mrs Cook died peacefully at her home with her husband and family at her side.
The artist - who was born in Surrey - lived and worked for a while in London in fashion and briefly as a showgirl.
She was never trained and did not take up painting until she was in her 40s.
The larger than life characters she depicted in her cartoon like paintings were "largely inspired" by the people of Plymouth - where she lived for 25 years.
Mrs Cook along with her husband, a merchant navy man, ran a guesthouse when they moved to Plymouth in the 1960s.
People who stayed with them admired the paintings on display and a friend who was an antique dealer persuaded Mrs Cook to let to try and sell some.
After a successful sale of her paintings she held her first exhibition in 1975.
In 1979, a South Bank Show was made about her.
In a recent interview given by her husband, John, he said that she didn't want to know about the prices her pictures sold for. He added he thought the highest ever paid was £25,000.
Describing her unique style, Mrs Cook said: "I don't like doing backgrounds and I love painting people and I love painting them when they are enjoying themselves. To get rid of the background I paint the people even larger."
An art critic said that her work "celebrated ordinariness".
In 2004, her 'big' characters starred in 'Bosom Pals' - a two part animated TV series made for the BBC by Tiger Aspect.
The two half-hour films featured the voices of Rosemary Leach, Alison Steadman and Timothy Spall.
Mrs Cook retired for medical reasons, including poor eyesight and arthritis but continued to paint for pleasure. She was made an OBE in 1995.
(DS)
Mrs Cook died peacefully at her home with her husband and family at her side.
The artist - who was born in Surrey - lived and worked for a while in London in fashion and briefly as a showgirl.
She was never trained and did not take up painting until she was in her 40s.
The larger than life characters she depicted in her cartoon like paintings were "largely inspired" by the people of Plymouth - where she lived for 25 years.
Mrs Cook along with her husband, a merchant navy man, ran a guesthouse when they moved to Plymouth in the 1960s.
People who stayed with them admired the paintings on display and a friend who was an antique dealer persuaded Mrs Cook to let to try and sell some.
After a successful sale of her paintings she held her first exhibition in 1975.
In 1979, a South Bank Show was made about her.
In a recent interview given by her husband, John, he said that she didn't want to know about the prices her pictures sold for. He added he thought the highest ever paid was £25,000.
Describing her unique style, Mrs Cook said: "I don't like doing backgrounds and I love painting people and I love painting them when they are enjoying themselves. To get rid of the background I paint the people even larger."
An art critic said that her work "celebrated ordinariness".
In 2004, her 'big' characters starred in 'Bosom Pals' - a two part animated TV series made for the BBC by Tiger Aspect.
The two half-hour films featured the voices of Rosemary Leach, Alison Steadman and Timothy Spall.
Mrs Cook retired for medical reasons, including poor eyesight and arthritis but continued to paint for pleasure. She was made an OBE in 1995.
(DS)
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