Beryl Cook, Jack Vettriano & Doug Hyde - Art in the 20th Century

The UK has a great number of artists in different fields but I’m going to focus on three of the most popular British artists. They are Doug Hyde, John Vettriano and Beryl Cook.

The birth of Beryl Cook’s first child also marked the start of her artistic talent in the field of painting. Beryl Cook made painting her hobby and being a hobby, Beryl Cook didn’t invest in any expensive painting materials. Instead, she started out by painting using her son’s paint set.

It was an antiques dealer who became Beryl Cook’s first fan. Her artistry caught the attention of the dealer, who asked her if she could try selling her paintings in the antiques shop. Beryl Cook agreed to it and they managed to sell the first three paintings very quickly. Feeling overwhelmed and inspired by the quick sales, she continued to produce her unique art.

Beryl Cook’s art feels like you are watching the world through her eyes. She has put on to canvass, the very things that people do everyday. Beryl Cook has been very observant of the happenings around her. This is what gets the attention of her fans because her paintings have those chubby characters that are based on real life people, thus adding a personal nod to them. Some of her paintings, including Cruisin’, which portrays what the people are doing while on a cruise. Another piece called The Art Class shows the everyday life of art students in a class. To witness an everyday life of a tennis player, Beryl Cook portrays the sports stars shaking hands over the net, emphasizing challenges, winning and losing as a part of our daily lives.

Another slow starter is Jack Vettriano, someone who tapped into his artistic side at a later age. Thankfully he didn’t wait too long because he has become extremely popular with his paintings and prints. Before becomming an artist, Jack Vettriano quit school and worked in the mining industry.

Jack Vettriano prints show people who are dressed in smart, sophisticated clothes and in most cases are members of the richer end of society. The Jack Vettriano print that is best known is The Singing Butler, in which a couple is accompanied by their butler and maid on a beach. Another is the Yesterday’s Dreams painting, this shows a sophisticated lady who is peering out of a window. Turneresque showcases three couples who are dancing, a frequent theme in Jack Vettriano’s work much like romance, sensuality, and elegance which are often found in his paintings.

An up and coming British artist is Doug Hyde. What differentiates Doug Hyde from Beryl Cook and Jack Vettriano is that he was able to tap his artistic side at a young age and focused on the technicalities of painting so he could become the professional artist as he is today.

Doug Hyde paintings are literally made by hand because he uses his hands and fingers as paint brushes. Using pastel, he paints according to his emotions and moods. This is Doug Hyde’s way of releasing emotion in to his pieces. Contemporary art aficionados love his paintings because of the personal touch of his work. An example of his works include Written in the Stars, in which a caricature owner and his pet dog look up at the sky, as if they are making a promise on their lives. Declare Your Love shows the emotion of a person that cannot contain his love and is fully offering it to someone. Emotions that blend in the colour tones of pastels became a sign of Doug Hyde’s art.

They have different approaches in terms of painting but it is their diversity that made them popular in the contemporary art scene and their contributions to art deserve to be acclaimed.