Chris Armstrong

Chris Armstrong (1948—2014) Chris Armstrong was born on April 11, 1948, in St. Petersburg, Florida, and grew up in Jacksonville where he spent much of his time studying and drawing the outdoors. After graduating from Ribault High School he earned a degree at Ringling School of Art in Sarasota. His first job out of college took him to Kansas City, Mo., where he created greeting cards for Hallmark.

In the late ’70s, while employed as an editorial illustrator for the Jacksonville (Florida) Times-Union newspaper, Armstrong was asked to illustrate some deer-hunting tips for the now-defunct Southern Outdoors magazine, which was published by B.A.S.S., Inc. and edited by Dave Precht. His work made such a positive impression that when Precht became editor of Bassmaster Magazine in 1984, he knew he wanted Armstrong’s illustrations to be a regular feature in the magazine. In fact, his work appeared in almost every issue of Bassmaster Magazine for 30 years.

The steady work and national recognition Armstrong received through Bassmaster soon led him to end his newspaper days and open Smackwater Studios, his freelance artwork business located upstairs in his home. From Smackwater he produced countless illustrations describing the techniques, lures, and lifestyle that educated and inspired generations of anglers. In addition to Bassmaster Magazine, his work graced the pages of B.A.S.S. Times, In-Fisherman, Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, North American Fisherman, Western Outdoors, and countless others, as well as numerous books and educational materials for retailers and manufacturers.

Armstrong’s talents reached far beyond the printed page. He is responsible for an elaborate walking mural at the headquarters of the federal estuarine research reserve at Guana Tolomato Matanzas on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, as well as another for the state of Florida that details the pre-Columbian lives of American Indians who lived near Okeechobee and the world in which they lived.

Chris Armstrong died on April 23, 2014, after a lengthy illness.