Born Glasgow, Scotland, Ian Calder studied Typography and Graphic Design at Stowe College of Printing while attending drawing and painting night classes at Glasgow School of Art.

Leaving Glasgow as young man, Calder came to Dublin, where he began a career that would span forty years in Dublin's booming advertising industry as creative director and owner of one of Ireland's most successful agencies, winning major industry awards over the years, and designing and illustrating stamps for An Post.

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Returning to his first love, in 1998 Calder started life drawing again in Paul Brooke’s evening classes in IADT, and has been drawing and painting since, notably in the RHA Life Drawing School, participating in workshops with academicians Una Sealy and Mick O’Dea.

His great passion is the study of the horse and he has executed several commissions of equine subjects for private clients and recently completed two commissions for the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) Headquarters in Lausanne: the FEI Solidarity Tree - a 3m x 2m wall mounted relief in stainless steel depicting the harmony between horse and human, and the FEI Furusiyaa Nations Cup Jumping Trophy in bronze, crystal and stone, symbolising the spirit of the horse.

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He has participated in small group shows over the years, most recently having a solo exhibition, 'Hulks' at Signal Arts Centre in Bray, Co. Wicklow.