Art has always been part of Bernie Millar's DNA in the same way that she loves travelling to explore new places.
She loves looking through salvaged treasures at flea markets and taking in live performances when possible (e.g. music, drama, stand-up comedy). It comes as no surprise to see that the common thread in her work is a feeling of travelling towards unknown horizons.
Bernie Millar was born and raised in Warrenpoint, a coastal town on the shores of Carlingford Lough, a well-loved part of Northern Ireland where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea. She spent her childhood playing in nearby fields riding invisible horses, hunting for ladybirds, or beachcombing on the shoreline for treasure under the presence of the sleeping giant's silhouette, Fionn Mac Cumhail. (Finn Mc Cool)
Bernie wasn't an athlete or a nimble dancer like her siblings but loved painting and making things from an early age.
Her education directed her towards an art career and an inquiry based, creative style of primary school teaching in the UK and abroad for over 20 years. The experience of working in the international setting of The British School of Brussels for decades opened her horizons and love of cultural differences and Art.
Today, she is back in her native homeplace, discovering the rural and coastal beauty with fresh eyes. Bernie has had the pleasure of competing twice in Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year, first as a Wildcard at Castle Ward and then as a Pod Artist at Bristol's Floating Harbour in 2024. These experiences further deepen her interest in plein air painting on location to capture the character, atmosphere and emotion of a scene on canvas.
She currently paints a reflective atmosphere and narrative of Newry & Mourne landscapes on canvas. Her Artwork enables people to reconnect with where they had come from, where they are now and feel ready to keep pursuing adventures.
Bernie Millar's Artwork has touched audiences across Ireland and beyond.
Her paintings are known for triggering nostalgic memories and transporting the viewer to a calm, liminal space.
Each chosen landscape painting or print represents someone who loves exploring and observing hidden details. When they look at it every morning, they feel calm and reassured that struggles are part of life's journey and when it was needed, they displayed persistence to get back on the road again!
