[1] Ian Stephens was born in the Gippsland region of Victoria and began drawing and painting at an early age.
In 1971, Ian relocated to Melbourne to study fine art and painting techniques at the Victorian Artists Society.
In addition to this experience, Ian broadened his artistic knowledge by travelling Australia and the world.
His winning painting was sent to London to represent Australia in a Commonwealth exhibition opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
[2] In 1992, Ian relocated to North Queensland to fulfil a lifelong ambition of living in the tropics.