Ian Armstrong began his career in 1940 as a student at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology studying art under Murray Griffin. In 1943 he started at the National Gallery School, Melbourne, under William Rowell.  Armstrong also took art lessons at the George Bell School and life drawing classes at Victorian Artists Society.

In 1946 he jointly purchased a block of land in Lilydale with fellow art students Fred Williams and Harry Rosengrave, where they built a shack as their headquarters to paint the Lilydale landscape en plein air until 1951.

Awarded the Retailers Traders Jubilee Travelling Scholarship of New South Wales in 1951, Armstrong travelled to Europe and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, London.

Returning to Australia in 1953 he married Kathleen Parker in 1954.

Armstrong taught art at Collingwood and Sandringham Technical School until 1961, before being appointed Drawing Master at National Gallery School working with John Brack.

After leaving the National Gallery School in 1966 Armstrong worked full time on his art, holding over 60 solo exhibitions and is represented at the National Gallery of Australia and most state and regional galleries.

Ian Armstrong Art Trust

Ian Armstrong Art Trust was established after his death to conserve and catalogue his art work.

Photo credit: Audrey Shoobridge