Biography
Helena van der Nest-Strijdhorst was born in Harderwijk in the Netherlands. In 1974 her parents exchanged the flat, watery landscapes of the Netherlands for the grassy plains and golden sunsets of South Africa.
After completing her high school education in Pretoria, Helena completed a 4-year teaching diploma and graduated from Normaal Kollege ( teacher’s college) in Pretoria in 1979. Her elective subject was art education.
In 1992 Helena enrolled at Hatfield Training Centre for the Fine Arts Course ( three years training)with Paddy Visser and Lucy Doran. She also received tutoring for two years from Andrea Ackerman in drawing and watercolours. In 2005 Maria Dippenaar became her art mentor for a few years.
Helena has worked as an artist since 1982 and was, a regular exhibitor at the Magnolia Dell Arts and Crafts Market. She also exhibited at the Magnolia Dell Arts in the Park.
She took part in numerous art exhibitions and her work is owned by many private collectors in the Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland and the USA.
She works in oils, acrylics, inks, watercolour, watercolour pencils, charcoal. Helena gets inspiration from words, colours, nature and music.
Most of the paintings have a deeper hidden meaning. Leaves and butterflies are symbols used for different seasons. Birds symbolize freedom, words that when once spoken cannot be called back, and also as a symbol for the Holy Spirit.
The Garments of Love Series is inspired by Colossians 3‘s wardrobe of compassion, kindness, humility, forgiveness and love as an all-purpose garment. Paintings on display will be combined with hand painted shoes and pieces of embroidered clothing, all with symbolic meaning and to emphasize that for her art is a way of living.
Helena has taught art to elementary and high school students as well as adults since 1991.
She regularly organizes art workshops in different mediums as well as therapeutic art workshops and uses art as therapy as a way to reach out to others.
Helena was part of a team from United Prayer Frontiers and she has visited France and Italy to paint and teach therapeutic art.
To be able to see is part of the process of making art, whether it is drawing, painting or sculpture. The way that artists look and see influences their individual way of painting and drawing, By teaching “The glory of God is man fully alive” ( St Irenaeus) Helena motivates her students to develop their own creativity and style.
She lives in Waverley, Pretoria and has a son Iwan (36) and a daughter Ilka (33). Helena fostered many babies and children – her first and eldest foster daughter Desiree (37) is still part of the family.