SHEARER ARMSTRONG (BRITISH, 1894-1983)

SHEARER ARMSTRONG (BRITISH, 1894-1983)
Travelling Zoo
signed and dated 'Shearer Armstrong 1936' (lower left)
oil on canvas
63.5 x 88.8 cm. (25 x 35 in.)

Provenance
Sale; Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, Exeter, 8 October 2009, lot 529, where purchased by the present owner

Alixe (Alice) Jean Shearer Armstrong was a visionary painter, printmaker, and illuminator, born in Penge, southeast London. A gifted artist, she honed her craft at the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art (1912–14), further refining her skills in Karlsruhe, Germany, and under the tutelage of Stanhope Forbes in Newlyn. After settling in Cornwall in 1921, Armstrong became a central figure in the region’s artistic renaissance.

A founding member of the Penwith Society of Arts, she also exhibited with the Royal Academy (RA), the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA), the St Ives Society of Artists, and the Taurus Artists, gaining recognition both across Britain and internationally. Her solo exhibitions at the Chiltern Gallery and the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh showcased her evocative style, deeply inspired by Cornwall’s wild, romantic landscapes.

For many years, Armstrong maintained a studio in St Ives while residing in Carbis Bay, drawing endless inspiration from the coastal scenery. Her works are held in esteemed collections, including those of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, the Scottish Education Committee, and the Cornwall Education Authority.