The paintings
Kristín Berta Guðnadóttir was born in and raised in Reykjavík but now lives in Hafnarfjörður. She studied at the Reykjavík School of Art and Myndmál art school run by artist Rúna Gísladóttir. She has also learned oil painting with Icelandic artists and learned acrylic painting and mixed media with foreign teachers.
Kristín Berta is a social worker and family therapist in private practice, as well as a yoga teacher and Intentional Creativity teacher. In 2020, she founded Sálarlist (Soulful Art), where she gently guides others to reconnect with the creativity they were born with through creative self-care, integrating art, Yoga Nidra, mindfulness, and meditation.
Kristín’s work is on display and available for purchase at www.apolloart.is and at The Gallery, Skólavörðustígur 20, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Inspiration and process
Inspiration for her work comes primarily from Icelandic nature, as well as from life itself, through the inner landscape of the mind and emotions. Kristín works with acrylic paint, watercolor, and mixed media, and at times combines writing with imagery.
Her acrylic paintings are built up layer by layer. Within these layers are written messages, words, or intentions,expressing themes of positive energy, transformation and peace. They are not always visible to the viewer in the final piece. Sometimes, a sentence or a short poetic text is created to accompany the work.
"When I begin a new piece, I rarely know what will emerge. I let the colors and shapes guide me, listening for what the painting wants to express, and allowing it to speak in its own language."
When visual and written language meet
Kristín’s paintings can be full of energy and life, yet at times they carry a softness and calm, as if whispering a quiet message to the attentive viewer.
While she works, she is often drawn to words or fragments of text that reflect what the painting wants to express. She writes them in a notebook or directly into the layers of the piece, allowing them to become part of its energy.
When the painting is complete, she returns to it with her journal and writes from what arises. If a text or message belongs with the image, it comes naturally. If not, she trusts that the painting wishes to stand on its own.
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Brighter days
View on apolloartIsn't that wonderful?
When the morning sun sneaks into the day
after a snowy winter?
The sky golden and full of hope,
of brighter days.
May light fill your days
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To rest and simply be
View on apolloartIn the stillness between the wind’s gentle stirrings, life slows down.
There, one can rest and simply be.
There, one can listen and hear the heart’s quiet calling.
In the silence that transforms everything it touches.“May you find stillness, and hear the calling of your heart.”
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Int he Gilded Light of a Departing Day
Available at the Gallerí Skólavörðustíg 20A tree that stands
through a demanding storm
knows somewhere,
deep in its veins,
that another day will rise.A day that brings rest,
in the strong colors of the setting sun.It will bathe once more
in the gilded light of a departing day,
and stand strong in the glow of the new one."May you too withstand
the storms of life."
The forms of shadows
In many of Kristín’s works, shadow forms of trees and flowers appear. The shadows and negative shapes found in nature are a source of inspiration for her. Many try to avoid the shadows within, yet it is often there that our deepest growth begins, when we dare to pause and look beneath the surface.
Watercolours on wood panel - Available at the Gallerí Skólavörðustíg 20, Reykjavík
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Veil of clouds and deep longing (SOLD)
Watercolor on paper, 10x10 mounted on wood panel and sealed with cold wax
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Weather that moves everything
Watercolor on paper, 10x10 mounted on wood panel and sealed with cold wax
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When autumn came with a fresh start (SOLD)
Watercolor on paper, 10x10 mounted on wood panel and sealed with cold wax
