Grange Moor artist in demand after 60,000 caricatures

May 11 2009 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Grange Moor artist in demand after 60,000 caricatures

ARTIST Nigel Cooke has drawn up to 60,000 caricatures during his career – and he is still going strong.

The Mirfield-born artist has always had a talent but spent years doing other jobs.

The 48-year-old’s last art lesson was at Mirfield High School and he learned his caricature skills at Universal Studios in Florida.

For years he drew humorous family shots on promenades up and down the country.

But now, more than 30 years after his last oil painting, his work is in demand.

Mr Cooke, who now lives in Grange Moor, says he find’s it incredible that after years of working as an illustrator he is in demand for his oil paintings.

He has built up one of the biggest catalogues of caricatures in the country and has had his own staff working at Butlins, on promenades in Blackpool, at Alton Towers and at the Trafford Centre.

He said: “I spent all my life working as an illustrator doing caricatures and after 30 years I sent a few paintings off to a magazine and suddenly they’re being sold.

“Caricature artists have always been regarded as poor relations in the art world.

“But I always knew I could paint and last November I did two humorous oil paintings – my first in almost 30 years – and sent them to a magazine who published them.

“On the day the magazine came out I received a call from Image Design of Harrogate who are the largest framers and attributers of original paintings in the country.