Teesdale artist earns 'book of the year' title for work on Wainwright

A DALE artist is celebrating after his decade-long labour of love was voted outdoor book of the year.

Bowes artist Andy Beck gave up his gallery in Barnard Castle some 10 years ago to start visiting and painting all of the scenes that appeared in Alfred Wainwright’s pictorial guides to the Lake District.

This culminated in a 360 page book containing 1509 paintings that was published in May this year.

Now Mr Beck’s book Wainwrights in Colour has been voted Book of the year by The Great Outdoors magazine readers.

Mr Beck found out about the award when a friend contacted him on Thursday after reading the latest edition of the magazine.

Mr Beck said: “This is amazing. There is the shock of winning a national competition, but to be acknowledged in this way is indescribable. This is a public vote which makes it even more impressive.”

“I didn’t expect to win when I looked at the shortlist. One of the books, his first print run sold 7,500 copies. I’m not a mass media book that is all over the place. There is no editor, there is no publicity, no marketing department, it’s just me.”

Some 5,000 copies of the book were printed and the artist has made contact with independent and high street bookshops across the country and makes personal delieveries to them. Others are sold directly from his website.

He believes that it is this personal contact that led to so many people voting for him

Mr Beck said: “Apart from the books sold at bookshops, I know every single person who bought one of my books. It is just that personal connection. These are not just books for me for me, they are almost a journal for me.”

Also selling well are the 214 fells he painted for the book. Only two remain unsold and hang in the artist's study. Only originals were sold and no prints, after from those that appear in the book were made. The 59-year-old said: “I wanted people who bought the originals to know they have something exclusive.”

Wainwrights in Colour won the award ahead of The Scottish Bothy Bible by Geoff Allan and There Is No Map in Hell by Steve Birkinshaw.

The Great Outdoors editor Emily Rodway, said: “Yet again, we have some fantastic winners in this year’s awards – but every individual, product and organisation shortlisted deserves recognition. Together, they represent the best of what’s on offer to outdoor enthusiasts in 2017.”

Mr Beck’s book can be ordered from andybeck

images.co.uk.