Contact Helen Helen N. Armstrong Austin, Texas 512-347-0407 512-771-4113 Biography Helen Nakard Armstrong was born and raised in Sydney, Australia where she still visits her family and friends living there. From her earliest memories, drawing and painting were a dominant interest in her life and as part of her education, Helen studied the colour and techniques of the French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists whilst travelling for a year throughout Europe and other parts of the world. After marrying her American husband Dan, she moved to Austin, Texas while he finished law school then settled in El Paso, Texas to raise their four children before returning recently to live again in Austin. During this time, Helen participated in many workshops in the Southwest, continuously attended art classes at the University of Texas at El Paso and earned a degree in Interior Design. With her family now grown, Helen has been painting full time and working under the influence of the Russian Classical School of Painting by studying privately for ten years in El Paso with the internationally acclaimed Russian emigre artists, Aleksander and Lyuba Titovets. Using a technique of varying brush strokes in impasto style, combined with the vibration of warm and cool colours together, her paintings reflect the different influences of her background. Helen's desire to bring spiritual harmony and balance in life is expressed through the love of beauty and colour in her painting - whether of people, flowers or landscapes. Resume The artist was accepted in the 173rd Annual Exhibition at the National Academy of Design in New York. Also as a Signature Member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painters' Society, Osage Beach, Missouri. In addition to receiving awards in El Paso Regional competitions and having several one-woman shows, her work has been exhibited at the Chamizal National Memorial, The Americana Museum in El Paso and in the book and exhibition "Desert Echo" at the Women's Museum in Dallas, Texas.   All content © 2000 - 2007 by Helen N. Armstrong. All rights reserved.