Petra Berntsson was born in Mölnlycke, Sweden. After graduating school she moved to Stockholm to study photography. She studied colour psychology and design with the Scandinavian Institute of colour in Stockholm. Her work has been commissioned throughout Ireland and internationally and is held in private collections in Ireland, the UK, Sweden and Australia.

Influenced and encouraged by artistic grandparents and entrepreneurial parents, Petra has been painting since childhood.

After graduating school she moved to Stockholm to study photography. She studied colour psychology and design with the Scandinavian Institute of colour in Stockholm. Petra moved to Ireland in 1995 where she started her own business making organic, traditional paint. She has taught art and interior design and is involved with youth work and environmental issues.

Petra tells us about her work:

A Boat in the Garden just Incase is one of my earlier paintings. I think the title says it all. I keep returning to that idea/image. It’s practical yet imaginary; it could be local flooding or Noah’s story or about huge environmental issues, or even a personal reflection. I always let the viewer decide how he/she perceives a painting. Titles have always been important to me.

At the moment, I am developing my work, my skills and style and to gain new contacts nationwide and internationally, both on a commercial and non-commercial basis. If each body of work that I create isn’t ‘better’ than what I’ve done previously – I feel that I’ve failed. I constantly push myself to my limits, I always want to learn more and spend a lot of time researching ideas, images and methods. I believe that we are never finished learning and as artists our main aim is to document the present while bringing joy and imagination to people.

Find out more about this artist here: www.petraberntsson.com