Terry Armstrong

Terry Armstrong runs every day and loves many outdoor activities, including fishing and hiking. It’s little wonder then that his watercolors often feature nature and express the tranquil beauty of the simple Midwest life.

“Being a Hoosier offers endless opportunities for an artist in all seasons,” Terry says. “Spending time on my grandparents’ farm, roaming woodlands and lakes, visiting the Amish, or just traveling back roads all influence my appreciation and love for Indiana.

“No matter where I have traveled outside of our state, I always find images that mean the most to me are right here in Indiana,” he adds.

Terry has worked in his craft for more than 30 years, after growing up around art. “I have always had a need to draw or create, even as early as first grade,” the lifelong Hoosier says. “My great-uncle was a professional artist in Chicago and my grandmother helped him in his studio. My mother encouraged me also, as she was a grade school art teacher for almost 40 years.”

He’s become a teacher, as well. The Kosciusko County resident teaches a watercolor class at Grace College in Winona Lake and offers watercolor workshops at his studio.

He was raised in the Columbia City/Fort Wayne area. After graduating from Carroll High School in Fort Wayne, Terry went on to graduate from IPFW with bachelor degrees in fine art and commercial art. He worked in the marketing communications department at Biomet, Inc., an orthopedic company in Warsaw, for 25 years. In 2006, he said goodbye to the corporate world to pursue watercolor full time.

“Watercolor offers the ability to paint with incredible detail, as well as loose abstract or impressionistic styles,” Terry says. “I am also inspired by the spontaneity of watercolor, continuing to experiment with this diverse medium.”