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British Artist Beryl Cook has passed away on Wednesday May 28, she was 81 year old. She died peacefully at her home in Plymouth with her family by her side.

She is best know for her colorful paintings of fat ladies and was described by comic Victoria Wood as “Rubens with jokes”.

Beryl Cook was one of those people with natural talent as she had no formal art training and didn’t start painting until her 40s, but her work went on to become very popular. Link to Beryl’s paintings

Cook’s paintings document familiar social situations like girls on a hen night, in a nightclub or shopping, men in the pub, at a strip club or at the market.

The large, fun-loving characters featured in her work were largely inspired by people in the city’s pubs.

And it was in Plymouth where her talent was first noted.

Cook and her husband, John, ran a guest house when they moved to Plymouth in the 1960s.

People staying at the house started talking about the paintings on display and an antique dealer friend persuaded her to let him try and sell some.

They sold quickly and she went on to hold her first exhibition in 1975.

Despite being largely snubbed by the art establishment, Cook’s work became well-loved by the general public following a South Bank Show about her in 1979.

In January 2004 her characters starred in a two-part animated TV series, called Bosom Pals, made for the BBC.

[via bbc news]