He gave up both artistic and diplomatic work in the 1950s and spent the rest of his life farming in France with occasional returns to painting.

[1] He studied at the Working Men's College and the National Gallery of Victoria Art School, where he was tutored by William Beckwith McInnes and Lindsay Bernard Hall.

Atyeo's submission, an abstract painting titled A Gentle Admonition, depicted a caricature of Hall with two nude female students.

[2][9] His time with Cynthia Reed led him to meet and establish a life-long friendship with politician and art patron H. V.

[1][4] He said he created the painting after listening to Bach's Double Violin Concerto at a time when he exploring the relationship between music and art.

[4] In France, Atyeo spent time with fellow Melburnian Louise Hanson-Dyer and frequently attended her salon.

[12] He met refugees from the Spanish Civil War which influenced his socialist views and resulted in the production of Republican propaganda posters.

Although initially a temporary appointment, Atyeo worked for Evatt for eight years and was a trusted confidant who often accompanied him as an advisor.

His diplomatic career started in New York as part of the office of the director-general of war supplies procurement.

[1] In 1945, Atyeo was stationed in Paris as the second secretary for the Australian legation and in 1947 assisted John Hood with UN special committees on the Balkans and Palestine.

[3][1] Atyeo was dismissed from the diplomatic service in 1950 after his sponsor Evatt lost his position in government following the 1949 election.

[18] In 1950, Atyeo gave up painting and returned to his farm in Vence to grow grapes and roses, which he sold to the perfume industry.

He independently sought out information about overseas artists from imported books and journals from Melbourne bookshops and the Reed's collection.

[4] He also displayed an intellectual engagement with artistic theory, often referencing Schopenhauer, Roger Fry, Clive Bell and Hegel.