Berni Ayreart

Sydney born Artist Berni Ayreart (b.1961 - ) Painter, Printmaker, Book maker, and Photographer.

Berni is best known for her Australian Landscape paintings and illustrating Fauna and Flora. Her landscapes have been described as detailed, alluring, and sensitive, revealing an intimate respect for Indigenous culture, sense of place, an understanding of time and light play. Her works are often enhanced by using nature for added texture when painting au plein air.

Berni spent her childhood years in rural NSW where she enjoyed roaming and discovering her environment. It was the colours and textures she found in the bush, the early morning pastel tones, the light and shadows of the countryside, that drew her to paint from an early age. 

Primarily self taught, Berni learnt painting techniques copying works of Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts, Kenneth Jack and other well known artists sitting on the floor of the N.S.W. Art Gallery during school holidays. Noticed by her school teacher, the avant-garde Artist George Balyck, Berni was inspired, challenged and encouraged to pursue her talent beyond school and exhibit in local art shows.

Her weekend roaming's to Art Galleries and the Sydney harbourside seeking inspiration, Berni stumbled on and befriended several prominent 1970's and 1980's Artists who offered her informal tuition. Many providing her with old oil paints, art books and their discarded canvases. These artists included James R Jackson, Betty Stevens, Jack Lynn, Peter Kingston, and Luna Park mural artist Martin Sharp. 

Berni attended workshops at the Waverley Woollahra School of Art Sydney and the Willoughby Artist's Group. She has a Diploma of Graphic Arts, Certificates in Commercial Printing and Photography, - Sydney University of Technology.

Berni exhibited her first oil landscapes at the prestigious Artarmon International Art Gallery at age 15, where she won an UK Arts Scholarship for a traditional oil landscape: 'On the banks of the Murray'. Other early public exhibitions included: the Sydney Royal Easter Agricultural Show, Hyde Park open air weekend exhibitions, Birkenhead Point Art Gallery, The Rocks Gallery Circular Quay,  Ridge St. Gallery North Sydney, Woollahra and Darlinghurst Art Galleries and regional Rotary Art Shows. 

Suffering a debilitating stroke in 1979 Berni was forced to pursue another career path as a Biomedical Forensic Photographer. After retirement in 1990, and while recovering from an accident confined to a wheel chair, Berni was challenged by a neighbour to paint again and enter regional art shows. This provided a much needed stimulus for Berni to return to the world of art, and to rediscover the fauna and flora she so much loved to paint.

1990-present: notable prizes, multiple public choice awards, and acquisitions including: the ANL Mission to Seafarers Maritime Art Prize 'People's Choice' Award; Melbourne University; RMIT Contemporary Art Prize; Best in Show, Best Landscape - regional Rotary Art Shows; and features in the Australian Artist Magazine. Collections include: Shires of Mitchell, Whittlesea and Darabin. The Kingdom of Tonga Royal Collection, City of Rotorua People's Collection, Blackpool Gallery Collection, Vancouver Canada Expat collection, and in private collectors hands in Australia and overseas. 

Now living between properties on the Bellarine and Daylesford, Berni paints infrequently, entering the Linden Postcard Show; Rotary Camberwell and Altona Art Shows; Archibald; various Printing Awards; Seymour and TARTS Tallarook Members Art Shows; regional Rotary Art shows; and Select Group Exhibitions both in Australia and internationally. 

Berni is a committed volunteer Arts mentor, teacher, curator and Patron of the Arts. She has provided workshops for VCE Art students, isolated regional Indigenous young artists, and taught those who sought more confidence to pursue their passion for art. 

Berni is a Gov. Advisor for - Arts Culture Heritage and Conservation, and has won two Women's Day Awards for promoting Youth Indigenous Arts and for her work with affected Youth post 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires Vic. 

Berni is proudly a Gadigal Kamilaroi.