Kim Bernard – Artist Statement

Inspired by the Sumi brush paintings of Zen masters, this recent body of 2 dimensional encaustic works are an attempt to capture movement:  fluid, gestural, spontaneous, whole body movement, as in a dance.  The results are sumptuous abstract encaustic paintings that utilize a minimal color palette and repetitive imagery, thick layers of translucent and opaque wax, paper prepared with batik markings and hand rubbed oil stick combined to create multi dimensional panels.  Adopting this approach to mark making, I place the panel flat on the floor, and allow the spiraling, gestural marks to become a record of my own whole body movement, in much the same way that the Zen master allows the ink to flow off the tip of his Sumi, committing to paper the extension of his Chi, as a culmination of summoned energy.  The method that I’ve developed allows me to make marks and “erase” the ones that don’t yield the desired results.

Resume

Education

1987 BFA,Parsons School of Design, New York, NY

Exhibitions

Solo:

• 2008 Splash, Spiral, Gesture- Arden Gallery, Boston MA
• 2007 WaxWorks, Merrimack College, North Andover, MA
• 2007 Spirals, Orbs, Sticks, Arden Gallery, Boston, MA
• 2007 Kim Bernard, Hawthorn Gallery, Birmingham, AL
• 2005 Wax & Lead, Hawthorn Gallery, Birmingham, AL
• 2005 Eastern Influence, Clown Gallery, Stonington, ME
• 2005 Encaustic & Raku, York Public Library, York, ME
• 2003 A Sacred Space, Hay Gallery, Portland, ME
• 2003 Portals & Tote,- Stadler Gallery, Kingfield, ME
• 2000 Rods, Rocks, & Raku- Bromfield Gallery, Boston, MA
• 1998 Stacked, Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture, Concord, NH
• 1998 Black & White, Dyer Library, Saco, ME
• 1998 Female Forms, Levy Gallery, Portsmouth, NH
• 1997 Archetypal Images, Galletly Gallery, New Hampton, NH
• 1997 Recent Sculpture & Drawings, River Tree Arts, Kennebunk, ME

Group:

• 2008 200 Degrees, Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH

• 2008 The Diptych Project, Portland, ME, Portland, OR, Beverly, MA, Tucson, AZ & Steamboat Springs, CO  
• 2008 New Members, Boston Sculptors Gallery, Boston, MA
• 2008 Momentum VI, George Marshal Gallery, York, ME
• 2008 Lucky Street Gallery, Key West, FL
• 2007 Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown, MA
• 2007 Kim Bernard & Tom Driscoll, Fenn Gallery, Woodbury, CT
• 2007 Maine Sculptors, Atrium Gallery, USM, Lewiston, ME
• 2007 National Prize Show, Cambridge, MA
• 2007 Hot Stuff, National Encaustic Juried Exhibition, Montserrat College, Beverly, MA
• 2007 2nd Annual Encaustic Invitational, Conrad Wilde Gallery, Tucson, AZ
• 2007 Fusion, Greenhut Gallery, Portland, ME
• 2007 New England Wax:  Encaustic I, Salem State College, Salem, MA
• 2007 New England Wax:  Encaustic II, Galletly Gallery, New Hampton, NH
• 2007 Art Miami, invited by Hawthorn Gallery, Birmingham, AL
• 2006   Impulse- Portland Art Center, Portland, OR
• 2006 Kim Bernard & Michael Palmer, Polonaise Gallery, VT
• 2006 Kim Bernard & Jeanne McCartin, Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown, MA
• 2006 NH Artists Look at Nature, Burlingame Gallery, Exeter, NH
• 2006 Momentum IV, George Marshall Store Gallery, York, ME
• 2006 Oil & Wax, Roman Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
• 2005   Oil & Wax, National Traveling Encaustic Exhibit, PA, ME, CA, AZ
• 2005 Faculty Exhibit, New Hampshire Institute of Art, Manchester, NH
• 2005 Artists of Southern Maine, University of New England, Westbrook, ME
• 2005 Rock, Paper, Scissors, River Tree Arts, Kennebunkport, ME
• 2005 Many Faces of Clay, Clown Gallery, Portland, ME
• 2005 Size Doesn’t Matter, Heartwood College of Art, Kennebunk, ME
• 2004 Maine Sculptors, Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset, ME
• 2004 Sanctuary Arts, Music Hall, Portsmouth, NH
• 2004 Great Works Regional Land Trust Exhibit, Jonathan’s, Ogunquit, ME
• 2004 Bowls, Bowls, Bowls, Heartwood College of Art, Kennebunk, ME
• 2003  Maine Sculptors, Lewis Gallery, Public Library, Portland, ME
• 2003 3 Person Small Sculpture Exhibit, Blue Stocking Gallery, York, ME
• 2003 Premier, Family Tree Gallery, Portsmouth, NH
• 2003 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit- Mill Brook Sculpture Garden, Concord, NH
• 2002  Faculty Exhibit, Chester College, Chester, NH
• 2002 Outdoor Invitational Exhibit, Derryfield School, Manchester, NH
• 2002 Two Person Exhibit, Hay Gallery, Portland, ME
• 2002 Kim Bernard & Tom Driscoll, Ogunquit Art Collaborative, Ogunquit, ME
• 2002 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, Mill Brook Gallery, Concord, NH
• 2002 Annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, Moses-Kent House, Exeter, NH
• 2002 6 Clay Artists, Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden, Concord, NH
• 2001  NCJW Focus on Art 2001, Van Vleck House & Gardens, Montclair, NJ
• 2001 River Currents, George Marshall Gallery, York, ME
• 2001 Art Appeal, UNH, Durham, NH
• 2001 16th Annual Maine Women Artists, Colby Museum of Art, Waterville, ME
• 2001 Members Exhibit, Kathryn Schultz Gallery, Cambridge, MA
• 2001 Group, 100 Market Street Gallery, Portsmouth, NH
• 2001 Boat Show, Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden, Concord, NH
• 2000 Annual Sculpture Exhibit, Mill Brook & Sculpture Garden, Concord, NH
• 2000 Spring Mix, George Marshall Gallery, York, ME
• 1998 A Space Between, University Place Gallery, Cambridge, MA
• 1998 Show Stoppers, Brick Store Museum, Kennebunk, ME
• 1997  Three Person Exhibit, Simon Gallery, Morristown, NJ
• 1997 51st Annual NHAA Exhibit, Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, NH
• 1997 Annual Sculpture & Photography Exhibit, Danforth Gallery, Portland, ME
• 1997 Maine Women in the Arts, York Institute Museum, Saco, ME
• 1997 In Other Words, Brick Store Museum, Kennebunk, ME

Awards

• 2007 Greater Piscataqua Artist Advancement Grant Finalist
• 2007 Award for Sculpture, National Prize Show, Cambridge, MA
• 2005 Greater Piscataqua Artist Advancement Grant Finalis
• 2004 Good Idea Grant, Maine Arts Commission
• 2003 2nd Place Award for Sculpture, 3rd Annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, Mill
• 2003 Brook Gallery, Concord, NH
• 2003 Best of the Best, York County Coast Star, 1st Place Award as Sculptor
• 2002 Prescott Park Arts Festival, Paul McEachern Award for Sculpture, Portsmouth, NH
• 2002 Jefferson Pilot Financial Award for Creativity, 51st Annual NHA
• 1997 Exhibition, Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, NH

Collections

• Fidelity Investments, Boston, MA
• Governor Angus King, Maine
• Axis Design & Construction, Somerville, MA
• Senator Harley Chandler, Worchester, MA
• Mayflower Place, Sanford Housing Authority, Sanford, ME
• Sisti Law Offices, Portsmouth, NH

Publications

• 2008 The Diptych Project:  A Collaboration in Wax, Natale, Nancy,
  “3 Abstract Artists in Three Media at Lucky Street”, Blair, Joel, Solares Hill
• 2007 Nelson, James, “Kim Bernard Recent Works”, Birmingham News, May
• 2007 O”Shaughnessey, Tracy, “Woodbury Show Perfect Touch for Art Lovers”, Republican-   American, May
• 2007 Keyes, Bob, “Stacks of Wax”, Portland Press Herald, February, Feb.
• 2007 Kanak, Jim, “Encaustic Exhibit Features Local Artists”, York County Coast Star, Feb.
• 2005 Pascarrella, Matt, “Unframed”, Portland Magazine, September
• 2005 Sozaznski, Edward, “Glories of Wax”, Philadelphia Inquirer, July
• 2005 Miller, Buzz “Artists Wax Poetic about Encaustic”, Delaware County Daily Times, May
• 2005 Nelson, James, “Recent Works by Kim Bernard”, Birmingham News, May
• 2005 Kravetz, Deborah, “Oil & Wax”, Art Matters, August
• 2005 Nudelman, Stuart “Rock Paper Scissors 2005”, York County Coat Star, Mar.
• 2003 Shouldis, Victoria “Garden Variety”, Concord Monitor, July
• 2002 “Artists’ Portrait”, Vacation, June
  “Artists’ Renderings”, York County Coast Star, May
• 2001 McCartin, Jeanne’ “Making Vision a Reality”, Portsmouth Press Herald, Aug.
• 2000 “Colorful Past Leads to a Lifetime of Art”, Coast Pilot, July
• 1998 Craven, Robert “Art New England”, New Hampshire Review, May
• 1998 Duehr, Gary “Four Artists, Four Points”, Cambridge Chronicle, Aug.
• 1998 Mantz, Erica “Celebrating Beauty”, Foster’s Daily Democrat, Feb.
• 1998 Temin, Christine “A Space Between”, Boston Globe, Sept.
• 1997 “Sculpture and Drawings”, York County Coast Star, Sept.