Artist Beryl Cook, known for her colourful and comic paintings of larger-than-life ladies, has died at the age of 81.

She died peacefully at her home in Plymouth on Wednesday with her husband and family at her side.

Cook had no formal training and did not take up painting until her 40s, but her work went on to become hugely popular.

An exhibition celebrating Cook’s 80th birthday was held at the Portal Gallery in London in October 2006.

Jess Wilder, co-owner of the Portal Gallery, said: “It’s very sad indeed. She was painting until very recently. We had a marvellous 80th birthday party here.”

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 artist, who was previously described by comic Victoria Wood as “Rubens with jokes”, once said: “I don’t know how my pictures happen, they just do. Read more