Diana Armfield R.A. (b.1920) – Aspen Trees in the Rockies, Creek Ranch, Wyoming

Description

Armfield was born in Ringwood, Hampshire and attended Bedales School, a co-educational independent school in the village of Steep in Hampshire, from which she graduated in 1937. Her uncle, Maxwell Armfield, was an English artist, illustrator and writer. Armfield met her future husband Bernard Dunstan while she was at the Slade School of Fine Art. They married in 1949 and have three sons. As of 2006, she lives in London and Wales.

Armfield has worked as a painter, designer and teacher. She started her career running the Armfield-Passano Partnership with Roy Passano. The Partnership existed from 1946 till 1952 and produced textiles and wallpapers. At the 1951 Festival of Britain Armfield-Passano lengths were displayed and examples of their designs are in the Victoria & Albert Museum collection. After travelling to the Soviet Union Armfield became inspired by Ukrainian folk design.

During World War Two, Armfield organised cultural and entertainment events for soldiers and factory workers in YMCA hostels, started neighbourhood choirs and an amateur orchestra in London. From 1959 she taught at the Byam Shaw School of Art. She worked as a fabric and wallpaper designer until 1965. In 1985 she was appointed artist-in-residence in Perth, Australia. Following this appointment she was selected for an artist-in-residence post at Jackson, Wyoming in 1989. She was elected as Associate Member of the Royal Academy in 1989 and in 1991 became a full member.

Armfield has exhibited in London, and is particularly associated with the Browse & Darby Gallery. She had a solo show at the Tegfryn Art Gallery, Anglesey in 1975 and 1978. In 1988 she was featured in a combined retrospective with Bernard Dunstan at the Oriel 31 Gallery in Newtown and Welshpool. Armfield’s work includes commissions from The National Trust in 1988 and from The Prince of Wales in 1989. Her work is held by The British Museum, the Contemporary Art Society for Wales and the Government Picture Collection.

Armfield is a member of the New English Art Club (elected in 1970), the Royal West of England Academy (elected in 1975), the Royal Watercolour Society (elected in 1980) and the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art.