Expressive Whimsical Portraits by Rebecca Berman I Artsy Shark

Painter Rebecca Berman creates dreamy whimsical characters with expressive eyes. Enjoy her portfolio and view more art on her website.

painted portrait by Rebecca Berman

“Fern” acrylic on board, 8″ x 8″

I love a good story. If I don’t understand someone’s behavior, I make up a backstory to fill the void. I make up little anecdotes in my head about people throughout my day.

painted portrait by Rebecca Berman

“Wallflower, Still Life” acrylic on canvas, 30″ x 24″

After getting cut off by an aggressive driver, I’ll say to myself, “Ah, he’s probably rushing home to his sick grandmother or his cat…or maybe his grandmother’s sick cat.” I use these stories, not only to amuse myself, but also to ignite my own compassion.

painted portraits by Rebecca Berman

“Same Roots, Different Blooms” acrylic on canvas, 36″ x 36″

Even if they are silly, outlandish, or just plain wrong, these little imagined narratives make it easier for me to give people the benefit of the doubt. I ultimately feel more connected.

painted portrait by Rebecca Berman

“The Girl in the Yellow Raincoat” acrylic on canvas, 20″ x 16″

I use backstories to give life to the figures I paint and sculpt as well. These are loosely based on my own human experiences, and bolstered by my imagination. I create scenarios, emotions and opinions for my subjects. Once I forge a connection to their stories, the creating part gets a lot easier.

painted portrait by Rebecca Berman

“Lucy” acrylic on board, 14″ x 11″

Just like my fabricated explanation about the impatient driver, the stories I weave throughout my art don’t have to be realistic to be relatable. In fact, I love distorting my characters’ features—giant eyes and tiny mouths make frequent appearances. Still, I strive to make them feel real. Then viewers can recognize the humanity within them.

painted portrait by Rebecca Berman

“She Chose to Feel the Warmth” acrylic on canvas, 30″ x 15″

Whether I’m painting an adoring chicken or sculpting a head growing out of a vase, my aim is for others to engage with and ultimately relate to the small human stories within them.

painted portrait by Rebecca Berman

“She Carried the Key to Her Own Heart” acrylic on canvas, 24″ x 20″

My goal isn’t for them to say, “Oh, that’s pretty!” Instead, I want them to recognize some emotion and trigger empathy. “Oh, bless her heart!” or “Oh, she reminds me of my sister…I just love her!”

painted portrait by Rebecca Berman

“Sonora’s Heart” acrylic on canvas, 24″ x 20″

Becoming an artist was a process of writing myself back into my own story. After a career in healthcare and education, I found that being an artist allowed me to appreciate my own unique perspective and to focus on the emotional complexity of humans which has always fascinated me.

painted portrait by Rebecca Berman

“Too Much Fun” acrylic on canvas, 20″ x 16″

Our lives appear so linear. Yet, with just a glimpse below the surface, we see the intricacy—our minds and hearts taking turns steering the ship, our stories, real and imagined, overlapping and intermingling. My art explores these small moments, set within the web of the complex human experience.

One of the best things about painting and sculpting small human moments is that I’ll never run out of material. With humans, there’s always a backstory.

Artist Rebecca Berman invites you to follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

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