Bath Contemporary

Diana Matthews FRSA

Diana Matthews was born in Guildford, Surrey in 1935. Her earliest childhood memory is being praised for a picture she had painted. Her desire to paint was encouraged at school and formalised when she was accepted to the Bath Academy of Art on their teacher's course in 1954. The Academy's aim was to develop a new approach to art teacher training. It's most notable academicians and teachers included Sir Terry Frost, William Scott, Peter Potworowski, Peter Lanyon and Bernard Meadows.

Diana went on to teach art in various schools, eventually taking on the post of head mistress of Acton Reynald Girls Independent School for nearly 20 years. During that time she was awarded a Fellowship at the Royal Society of Art. After Diana retired from teaching she went on to painting full time and exhibits her work across the UK.

Diana's Still Life are pared down to minimalism to provide a very still and tranquil experience. Working from actual objects, Diana selects only what is of intrinsic value giving great charm to her chosen study. Her abstracts are inspired by listening to classical music. These pictures seem to enter into a world outside visual experience and demonstrate all the sophisticated understanding of an accomplished artist.