Terry Armstrong, Warsaw, loves the outdoors. He creates some of his finest paintings when he’s in the fresh air and sunshine. Photo by Terry Armstrong.

By Laurie Lechlitner
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — “I come from a family of artists,” stated Terry Armstrong, Warsaw. “When I was a boy and visited my grandparents in Muncie, my great-uncle Edward Fager was often there. He was a well-known artist with a huge gallery in Chicago. My mom, Rebecca Bogeman, taught art in Indiana and Arizona. Our family was filled with creative people, and I guess I just followed in their footsteps.”

Armstrong noticed things in nature. “I’d crawl around outdoors and watch insects. Even as a youngster, I noticed detail. Then I’d sketch what I saw. When Uncle Edward was in town, I’d show him my drawings of the Peanuts gang. I’ve always enjoyed portraying what I see, whether it’s in nature or in a comic strip.”

When Armstrong was in high school, he was introduced to watercolor painting. “Something clicked. I just loved it. I’ve been doing it ever since. Even when I paint in other mediums, I use watercolor techniques.”

At 17, he was accepted to Heron Art Institute in Indianapolis. “Unfortunately, I didn’t want to live in Indianapolis. I turned it down.”
Instead, after graduation, he attended Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne. “The first two years of college, I majored in fine arts. I went on to also major in graphic arts so I could get a job right out of college.”

In his junior year he went on a practice interview to Biomet Incorporation in Warsaw. “They wanted me to start right away. I explained to them that it was a practice interview, and I had another year of college to finish.” However, Biomet waited for Armstrong. “They called me back right after graduation and I began working for them.”

Armstrong worked as an illustrator of a surgery technique book. “I began videotaping and photographing knee, hip, shoulder and elbow surgeries. I’d go back and draw the procedure, showing the steps of each surgery.”

When asked if it bothered him to witness surgeries firsthand, he remarked, “I’m an outdoorsman. It didn’t bother me a bit.” He retired from Biomet in 2009.

Through the years, he’s worked on his watercolor art. He and his wife, Mary, had an art gallery in Winona Lake for about five years. “We decided it was simpler to create a gallery out of our home.”

Their historic 1870 brick home is located at 2277 E. 8 Square Road, Warsaw. The Armstrongs have dedicated two spacious rooms as the art gallery area. In them they display artwork as well as conduct workshops each spring and fall. Terry is the art teacher. But Mary has an art form of her own. She’s a master in the kitchen and supplies great meals for the hardworking art students.

Armstrong believes every artist has an eye for detail in their surroundings. “Me, I look for drama all around me. I enjoy portraying storms, fog, lightning. I’ll notice the contrast between dark and light. I’ll even spot the sun hitting its surroundings in a unique way.”

He’s never found a person he could not teach to paint. “I’ve had students come through who decided watercolor is not their forte. But they’ve always come away with a bit more training on how to express themselves artistically.”

His hobbies include sports, hiking and fishing. To view some of Armstrong’s work, visit terryarmstrong.net.