Beryl Cook left school at fourteen, showing little talent for painting and worked in a variety of jobs.
In 1946 Beryl married her childhood friend John  and the following year they left to live in Southern Rhodesia. This move was to prove a turning point for Beryl.  One day she picked up some paints and started a picture. She enjoyed it so much she could not stop. She painted on any surface she could find, scraps of wood, fire screens and most notably a breadboard, as can be seen from her famous early painting of Bowling Ladies.
Bernard Samuels of the Plymouth Art Centre became aware of this ‘local phenomenon’ and in 1975 he finally convinced her to have an exhibition. It was, of course an enormous success. The show received a great deal of publicity, which resulted in a cover and feature in the Sunday Times Magazine followed by a swift phone call from London’s Portal Gallery. The following year, Beryl Cook had her first London exhibition. It was a sell out and the start of an exceptional relationship with Portal, where she exhibited continuously for thirty two years. She was made an OBE in 1995.

If you would like to purchase a work or require further information please contact us:

Knighton Fine Art, 2,Broad Street, Knighton, LD7 1BL. Telephone:01547 528052

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