About Helene Ruma 

I am a Lake Macquarie artist specialising in paintings and drawings of animals. Since 2009 I have worked full-time as an artist completing a variety of projects such as 3 murals in New South Wales and Victoria, Illustrated 2 children books with another in progress and I have taught art to school children both locally and in rural Victoria.

I have won several art prizes and in 2016 I also judged the Casterton Kelpie acquisitive art competition after receiving first prize in 2013. 

Since 2012 I have taught children and adults and I continue to experiment with my art at my gallery and art supplies shop in Wangi Wangi. As well as promoting my own works, I also promote those of local and regional artists.

Many of my young students have won awards in local art competitions. I have also assisted these students to sell their artworks and give them support and mentoring when they are commissioned to create an artwork.

Education

I am constantly attending private art classes and workshops in a variety of mediums.
I also have the following tertiary qualifications.

University of Western Sydney, Nepean — 1991-1992
Associate Diploma of Graphic Design, Illustration Major

Liverpool Tafe — 1990
Associate Diploma of Fine Arts

Experience

After School Art Teacher — 2012-Present
Focusing on children between the ages of 9-18 years old

Contract Artist in Primary Schools — 2011-2016
I was contracted by two local primary schools to teach art to children K-6 (with a tertiary qualified primary school teacher present).

  • Wangi Wangi Public School

  • Rathmines Public School

I also taught art on a voluntary basis at schools in country Victoria (with tertiary qualified primary and high school teachers present).

  • Casterton High School

  • Casterton Primary School

  • Sacred Heart School, Casterton

  • Woomelang Group School

  • Warracknabeal Primary School

Murals — 2015-2022

I took each mural from brief to final artwork.

  • Arcadia Vale Public School - 40sqm

  • Rathmines Public School - 20sqm

  • Casterton Kindergarten - 6sqm

  • Attie Lane, RATHMINES - 18sqm

Book Illustrations - 2014-Present

  • The Adventures of Eddie McTeddie: Let’s Go, To the Park

  • The Adventures of Eddie McTeddie: Let’s Go, To the Beach

  • The New Kid (in progress)

Accomplishments

Artist’s Palette Magazine — 2013

Printed on cover page.
10 page article including biography and “how to” demonstration

How to Draw (Magazine) — 2014

Printed on cover page.
10 page article including biography and “how to” demonstration

Judge, Kelpie Casterton Art Prize — 2016

Arts Leader Award — 2019

Presented by Lake Macquarie council for my work with youth in the arts.

Awards

Newcastle Art Society, Mt Hutton Exhibition — 2011

Highly Commended

Newcastle Art Society, Belmont Exhibition — 2011

Highly Commended

Newcastle Art Society, Wallsend Exhibition — 2011

People’s Choice

Kelpie Casterton Art Prize — 2013

First Prize, Best in Show

Combined Art Societies of Sydney, Darling Harbour — 2014

Highly Commended, 9”x5” section

Morirset Art Show — 2014

First Prize, Works on Paper section

Great Lakes Art Exhibition — 2014

Second Prize, Works on Paper section

Kelpie Casterton Art Prize — 2014

Highly Commended

Great Lakes Art Exhibition — 2015

First Prize, Works on Paper section