THE work of the late artist Beryl Cook is unmistakable. A passionate observer of human behaviour, she famously painted large ladies in a variety of social situations to create what many people consider to be humorous masterpieces.

An exhibition taking place this month in Mill Hill pays tribute to Beryl, who died in 2008 aged 81, and will feature a number of her works produced over the last 30 years, including the latest posthumous release The Last Gasp.

“The beauty of it is everyone who looks at it sees someone they know,” says exhibition curator Jean Dennis.

“It’s entertaining to hear the stories they make up when they look at the paintings.”

Jean says Beryl’s work is unpretentious, appearing simple on the surface. Yet despite the artist having no formal art training, a Beryl Cook original is now likely to sell for around £40,000. Celebrity collectors include Jackie Collins and Mick Jagger.

“Many of the paintings remain within her family and many more have been sold privately, mainly in this country – it’s very British humour,” says Jean. “It’s like a visual history of fashion over the last 40 years.”

So why did Beryl concentrate on painting larger people?

“She preferred painting people to the background,” Jean adds. “People thought she must have been large herself but she wasn’t.”

A charity evening supporting Greenfingers will be held on Tuesday, June 15, when there will be a talk on the Life and Work of Beryl Cook, together with the opportunity to view some rare, signed limited editions.

Greenfingers is the charity of the gardening industry, dedicated to creating gardens at children’s hospices across the UK.

The exhibition runs until June 27, open 10am-4pm daily, at Mill Hill Garden Centre, Daws Lane, Mill Hill. Details: 020 8906 4255