Crossing barriers of language and culture, Carol Bernier’s incredibly lush paintings speak directly to our most fundamental sensibilities. Her abstractions represent the range of human emotion, with the energizing hues of reds and yellows to the deep tones of tempestuous skies and fearsome oceans. Much akin to the techniques of watercolor painting, Bernier mixes numerous layers of oil paint with varnish and other nontraditional mixed media to create stunning effects with texture and color. These captivating works appeal to our central awareness, rather than telling a story through pictures, the work affronts us with smoldering grit or sooths the soul with creamy hues. By reducing the picture plane to such a pure abstraction, the audience must examine themselves in relation to what is seen, creating a genuine interaction between artist and viewer.

Carol Bernier holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from the University of Québec in Montréal, and she has exhibited in solo and group shows in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Europe. She lives and works in Montréal.