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Bernardica T Sculac Stern
USA
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“Beauty is my language, joy is my message, art my prayer.”
It took several decades for Bernardica T. Šćulac Stern to finally declare, “I am an artist.” The path to that statement was long and full of unexpected turns, marked by constant transformation and discovery. Her journey was never straightforward or predictable. Each stage of her life, from childhood to her current practice, was shaped by family, education, and the many experiences that continue to define her identity. She is the daughter of immigrants who instilled in her a deep love for both her cultural heritage and the country she calls home. These dual roots form the foundation of her worldview and are reflected in the sensitivity and curiosity that flow through her art.
Joy of Color 1 | Acrylic
$1,000
16 X 20
This is a preparatory work for my “music as paintings” series, and wanted to play with some different colorful combinations as I plan my next set of paintings.
My brother, who studied mathematics, posited that this painting is my “subconscious mathematical personality asserting itself.” Regardless of the interplay of conscious and subconscious inspiration, I had a lot of fun creating this work!
Her identity extends beyond the studio. Bernardica is a devoted spouse, a musician, and an avid gardener. These facets of her life nurture her creative vision, providing endless inspiration and grounding her work in the rhythms of nature and music. Her art emerges from this intricate balance between the intellectual and the emotional, the cultivated and the instinctive. The relationships and communities that surround her remain an essential part of her creative evolution, shaping how she perceives beauty and meaning in the world.
Tallis' Comfort | Acrylic
$1,000
16 X 20
This my interpretation of a beautiful a cappella choral work "If Ye Love Me" by English composer Thomas Tallis, written around 1565.
The bluish-green I blended is meant to evoke a sense of calm, though I also wanted to make the colors appear more vibrant by using the complimentary colors of a red-pink-orange. The song/hymn refers to the comfort given to those who love. One need not be religious to be moved by the beauty of human voices singing in harmony.
Although her academic background might seem far removed from art, it has profoundly influenced her approach to creativity. Bernardica holds a degree in marine biology and a graduate degree in theology and ethics. These disciplines sharpened her observation of life and deepened her philosophical understanding of existence. The analytical rigor of science and the reflective nature of theology merge in her artistic process, where curiosity, moral depth, and a search for harmony coexist. Art was always there as a quiet thread running through every chapter of her life, ready to reignite when the time was right.
“Music teaches my paintings how to breathe and move freely.”
In addition to her scientific and theological studies, Bernardica also trained in voice performance during her undergraduate years. Music became the second constant of her adult life and now acts as a bridge between her intellectual and creative worlds. After more than twenty-five years as a performing mezzo-soprano, she began to explore how sound and emotion could translate into visual form. This shift gave rise to a new body of work inspired by music itself, where compositions become color, rhythm, and movement across the canvas.
Lauridsen's Mysterium | Acrylic
$1,000
16 X 20
This work is my interpretation of the a capella choral music "O magnum mysterium" by Morten Lauridsen, composed in 1994. It's one of my favorites to perform and a treat for the listener. The music is calming (represented by the blues and greens) and ethereal (represented by the metallics of gold and silver). I also used curves and blending of the colors to represent the calming feel of the music.
Arvo Pärt's 1977 bittersweet music "Cantus in Memoriam of Benjamin Britten" weaves longing and agony in a beautiful way. Layers of paint emulate the layering of the melody. Each lower octave is symbolized with red. The shimmering, almost ephemeral effect is symbolized with metallic paint speckling as an overlay. The gold along the top symbolizes the bells, their consistency a support amidst the changing music, their ringing evoking a sense of firmament.
Pärt's Cantus | Acrylic
$1,000
16 X 20
Her current artistic focus draws inspiration from the Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, an orchestral suite inspired by walking through an art gallery. In a similar spirit, Bernardica paints how music makes her feel. Each composition begins as an auditory experience that transforms into a visual dialogue between sound and emotion. Translating the intangible quality of music into pigment and texture has become both a challenge and a revelation for her, allowing her to express emotion in ways that words and melodies alone cannot.
“My art transforms sound into feeling and color into meaning, inviting viewers to listen with their eyes and experience the same emotional resonance that inspires me.”
“When I paint, I listen before I begin. Music enters first, flowing through me until it becomes color, rhythm, and quiet vibration. I do not translate melodies directly; I translate what they awaken. Every brushstroke is an echo of sound, a reflection of emotion that cannot be sung or spoken. The dialogue between music and painting helps me understand the invisible architecture of feeling. My goal is not perfection but connection, to touch the heart of another person through what is both seen and felt. In that exchange, art becomes alive, breathing with the same pulse that moves every song and every soul.”
Before the global pandemic, Bernardica found creative refuge in the halls of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, which she visited almost every Friday evening. The museum became her sanctuary, a place of contemplation and renewal after long weeks of work. Immersing herself in the collections exposed her to centuries of artistic dialogue, sparking new ideas and shaping her aesthetic sensibility. Her visual language carries traces of artists she deeply admires, including Georgia O’Keeffe, Alma Thomas, Hilma af Klint, Georges Seurat, Maximilien Luce, Vincent van Gogh, and Gustav Klimt. A journey to Croatia in 2018 further expanded her vision, where she discovered the work of painter Jozo Kljaković and sculptor Ivan Meštrović, both of whom continue to influence her understanding of form, spirit, and cultural identity.
Borodin's Steppes | Acrylic
$1,000
16 X 20
This my interpretation of "In the Steppes of Central Asia" composed around 1880 by Russian composer Alexander Borodin.
Red is used to depict the "Russian" theme, blues depict the "Eastern" theme, green and brown depict the "Traveling" theme. The yellow and metallics are inspired by the various grasses and sunshine found on the steppes. The brilliance of the music, to me, is the Russian and Eastern themes played concurrently.
For Bernardica, art was long an ember glowing quietly beneath the surface of her busy life. It persisted through different careers, relocations, and personal trials, acting as a compass that guided her through moments of joy, uncertainty, and sorrow. In times of great emotion, art became her language of resilience and renewal. This creative impulse, once a small flame, has grown into a powerful source of light that defines her present artistic practice.
Mack's Harlem | Acrylic
$800
14 X 11
“Mack's Harlem” is based on Tara Mack's a cappella choral setting of the Langston Hughes poem, “Harlem Night Song.” Hughes painted the yearning and longing of love with words, while Mack eloquently depicts these feelings with music. I was compelled to depict great stars in the night sky. Similarly I depicted a stylized version of two lovers (in purple), embracing in dance to symbolize the euphoric joy of love.
Her paintings reflect the emotional depth and sensitivity with which she experiences the world. She observes both nature and people with profound empathy, translating these impressions into color and form. Each work is an expression of feeling as much as of thought. At the heart of her practice lies a clear purpose: to create beauty and to share joy. These two principles, rooted in gratitude and spiritual awareness, form the moral and emotional foundation of her work.
"Shaw's Swallow" is based on Caroline Shaw's 2017 a cappella work "and the swallow." To me, this work is similar to the magic of Rachmaninoff's choral brilliance: the rich sound in the lower voices gives the music body and depth, whereas the heavenly sound of the higher voices gives the music its soul. The swirling movement depicts the harmonic progression, whereas the blues and greens depict the calming nature of the music. The silver and gold depict the ethereal hope symbolized by the swallow.
Shaw's Swallow | Acrylic
$1,000
16 X 20
“Every color I choose is a note in silent harmony.”
Stravinsky's Firebird | Acrylic
$800
8 X 10
This is my most recent “Music as Paintings” work. It is based on the Firebird ballet by Igor Stravinsky, written 1910.
I wanted to express the exuberance of the finale, with lots of colors to show the myriad of exciting emotions. I also chose to depict the Firebird as both the bird and the Ballerina dancing as the Firebird.
While much of her earlier oeuvre demonstrates strong technical mastery in light, composition, and perspective, her latest exhibition shifts toward introspection and abstraction. Rather than focusing on technical precision, she seeks to express emotions such as joy, yearning, sorrow, and love through visual harmonies inspired by music. The goal is not to replicate form but to evoke feeling—to make music visible and emotion tangible. Each painting begins with a musical piece she loves, and through color and rhythm she transforms sound into emotion, inviting viewers to listen with their eyes.
"Gershwin's Rhapsody" is based on George Gershwin's “Rhapsody in Blue.” While it's an iconic American piece of music, it's truly an iconic New York work, representative of the city in 1924 when it was composed. I wanted to highlight how each instrument has its own moment, as well as the flowing energy of blues and jazz that give the music its personality. Choosing to depict the music as a monochromatic work also highlights the quieter soothing portions of the music. Listening to this music while living in NYC felt like coming home.
Gershwin's Rhapsody | Acrylic
$1,924
14 X 18
Bernardica’s creative process is guided by both intuition and structure. When she listens to music, she perceives vivid colors, shapes, and movements that unfold like choreography across her imagination. She keeps a notebook where she records musical works, color palettes, moods, and compositional sketches for future paintings. This ongoing dialogue between sound and vision has become her distinctive contribution to art. Her music as paintings series represents the synthesis of a lifetime of experiences as scientist, musician, theologian, and visual artist, each layer harmonizing into one unified voice that celebrates emotion, transformation, and the beauty of being alive.
Met 150 | Acrylic
$100
16 X 20
Before the 150th anniversary of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, the Met invited people to submit artwork to celebrate. I wasn't able to finish this in time for submission, but I'm happy I went through the exercise of thinking about what to create. I chose to capture the essence of art to me: color, light, shape, contrast, composition. So this is a painting depicting a stained glass window with 150 in the the "lead" holding the "glass" arranged as a color-wheel.
“I paint to make emotions visible through rhythm, color, and light.”
Bernardica T Sculac Stern
www.https://artrepreneur.com/showroom/BTSS-bernardica
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