Born in Shirae, Iran in 1970, Helen Zarin can remember beginning to paintat the early age of five. Showing talent, her influential family encouragedher to invest in her artistic endeavors.As a high school student, she studied with the well known Persian artistand teacher, Saber. Later she enrolled in the Art and Culture Society, anational organization for gifted Persian Artists. As a student of Art and Cul-ture, she refined her skills in the various mediums, especially pastels andoils. Helen was recognized by the Iranian Society and earned many na-tional awards for her works.Conditions in her native country eventually compelled Helen to turn else-where for creative nourishment. "Hard work and talent are not enough foran artist to progress and blossom, creative freedom in the right atmos-phere is essential," she remarked. In the pursuit of these artistic prerequi-sites, she journeyed first to Europe where she displayed her works in Vi-enna before coming to the United States in 1993. She has continued hereducation first in New York and currently in Baltimore, Maryland whereshe resides.