Bernardica Sculac Stern

My artistic outlook is to look for beauty all around me. I choose to look for beauty everywhere: it could be flowers, or the play of light in a cityscape, or the myriad of colors of a crashing ocean wave. When creating art, I am trying to express how and why something is beautiful to me.At its core, my artistic practice is driven by a twofold mission: to create beauty and to bring joy to the viewer—principles that have guided me throughout my artistic life.Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I found solace and inspiration in the halls of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, visiting every Friday night after work. Immersing myself in the museum’s collections provided both rest and rejuvenation, which naturally influenced my artistic style. I continue to learn at art galleries, doing studio classes at Parsons and the Art Students League of New York, and experimenting on my own.Because of my diverse interests, I create works in a variety of styles to realize my vision. This is why the styles of my work include impressionism, abstract expressionism, as well as representational. As a singer, music is a major part of my life. I feel deeply when I listen to music, and my “Music as Paintings” series is an expression of what I feel listening to particular pieces. I believe this series is my unique contribution to Art.While continuing to create representational and impressionistic works, my next series is the "Color of Life."

After three decades of creating art while working in research compliance, Bernardica T Sculac Stern (btss) has finally claimed her space in the world of Art. A child of immigrants, Bernardica was raised by loving parents who instilled a deep appreciation for both her Croatian heritage and upbringing in Canada. She became an immigrant herself, after meeting her now husband in Alaska. The combination of her upbringing, living in a number of cities and countries, and various jobs and experiences have all shaped her identity, and continue to influence her artistic journey. Bernardica's work reflects a blend of influences from beloved artists, including Georgia O’Keeffe, Alma Thomas, Hilma af Klint, Georges Seurat, Maximilien Luce, Vincent van Gogh, and Gustav Klimt. She is also inspired by the works of Croatian painter Jožo Kljaković and sculptor Ivan Meštrović. Most of Bernardica's work has been representational or impressionistic. However in 2020, she started exploring how to weave her visual art with her 25 years of performing as a mezzo soprano singer: She worked in abstract expressionism to realize her “Music as Paintings” series. Like many artists, Bernardica experiences emotions deeply, with a profound sensitivity to people, music, and the natural world. Her work seeks to translate these emotions into visual form. Bernardica's next project is a “Color is Life” series, which she'll work on while continuing to create representational and impressionistic works.