Clara Berta lives in Laguna Beach, California, where she not only creates her acclaimed large-scale abstract paintings but also facilitates art for healing classes, helping others discover the transformative and restorative power of creativity. As a Hungarian-American artist, she has been practicing art since 2000 and is known for her vibrant, layered works that capture the energy and serenity of the natural world.
Born with Hungarian heritage, Berta carries a deep connection to her cultural roots, which often informs her art. One of her most enduring inspirations is water, both as a physical presence and as a metaphor for the ebb and flow of life. In Hungary, thermal springs are treasured for their healing properties, while the vast Pacific Ocean near her California home offers power, majesty, and constant motion. This link between two landscapes is reflected in her canvases, where calm expanses and energetic bursts of color coexist in delicate balance.
Dahlia stands as a perfect example of her ability to merge tranquility with vibrancy, inviting viewers to slow down, reflect, and connect with their own inner landscapes. Whether in the calm depths of layered color or the sudden spark of kinetic energy, Berta’s work offers a space for contemplation, healing, and inspiration, an artistic journey that continues to evolve, much like the flowing water that inspires her.
Dahlia – A Celebration of Natural Energy
Among her notable works is Dahlia, an acrylic on canvas piece that reflects the elegance and vitality of its namesake flower. Through luminous hues and soft yet dynamic forms, the painting captures a sense of blooming life and organic movement. Just as a dahlia’s petals open in layers, revealing depth and complexity, this artwork invites viewers to explore multiple emotional and visual dimensions. In its interplay of serenity and vibrancy, Dahlia embodies Berta’s artistic vision, a harmony between stillness and energy.
The Psychology of Color and Form
Berta’s academic background in psychology plays a central role in her creative process. She has long been fascinated by the ways in which abstract forms and colors can elicit emotional responses. Her paintings are designed not only to please the eye, but also to resonate on a deeper, more instinctive level.
She sees art as a transformative medium, one that can soothe, energize, or inspire depending on the viewer’s emotional state. This perspective also shapes her work as an art educator, where she conducts workshops that help women discover art as a tool for self-expression, empowerment, and personal growth. In these settings, she encourages students to let go of perfectionism and embrace the intuitive nature of creativity.
Intuitive Creation and Physical Movement
In her own practice, Berta works intuitively, allowing her thoughts and emotions to guide her movements without rigid preconceptions. Her paintings often begin with an airbrushed base layer to establish depth, followed by her signature technique of pouring and manipulating paint across the canvas. She uses movement, tilting, turning, and physically engaging with the surface to direct the flow of color.
The process is as physical as it is emotional. By working on large canvases, Berta can use her entire body, making broad gestures that infuse each piece with energy. This physical engagement traces back to her earlier exploration of performance art, where movement and presence were central to the work.
Layers of Meaning and Emotion
Layering is both a visual and conceptual element in Berta’s paintings. She adds colors, textures, and shapes gradually, building complexity while maintaining harmony between form, color, and negative space. For her, these layers reflect the multifaceted nature of human emotion, ever-changing, overlapping, and fluid.
Viewers often describe her work as simultaneously calming and invigorating. Some are drawn to the meditative quality of her compositions, while others find energy in the kinetic bursts of color. This openness to interpretation allows each person to experience the work uniquely, projecting their own emotions and memories into the abstract space.
Water as an Enduring Muse
Water remains a constant theme in Berta’s work, both visually and symbolically. She is inspired by the way water moves, sometimes gentle and reflective, sometimes turbulent and powerful. This duality mirrors her artistic approach, where calm gradients and bold color eruptions coexist in a single composition.
In Dahlia, for example, the gentle curves and layered petals evoke ripples on a pond or waves meeting the shore. The softness is punctuated by brighter, more energetic forms that suggest vitality and renewal. This interplay mirrors the natural balance of forces that Berta seeks to capture in her paintings.
Art as Connection and Transformation
For Berta, the true purpose of her work is not simply to create beautiful images, but to foster emotional connection. She believes that abstract art, by leaving space for personal interpretation, allows viewers to engage on an emotional level without the constraints of literal meaning.
Her teaching practice reflects this same philosophy. Through her workshops, she has seen firsthand how creating art can help people process emotions, build confidence, and discover new aspects of themselves. This belief in art’s transformative potential is woven into every layer of her work.
Large-Scale Immersion
The scale of Berta’s paintings plays an essential role in their impact. Standing before one of her large canvases, viewers are enveloped in color and form, almost as if stepping into a different environment. The size allows for both broad, sweeping movements and intricate details, creating a balance that keeps the eye moving.
In Dahlia and other works, this immersion encourages a deeper experience. From a distance, the forms may appear fluid and unified, but up close, the subtle variations in texture and layering reveal the complexity of her process.
Clara Berta: An Artist’s Journey – The Short Film
In addition to her painting practice, Berta’s story is the subject of the short documentary “Clara Berta: An Artist’s Journey”, directed by Ayrton Carrazco and featured at the Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival. The film is part of the Local Filmmaker Shorts program and is available for online viewing and voting until August 24th.
The documentary offers a deeply personal look into Berta’s life, tracing her journey from a Hungarian enclave in Transylvania, then part of Communist Romania, to her family’s reunion in America. It explores her resilience and reinvention across multiple careers, from modeling and acting to her ultimate calling as an abstract painter.
Set against the backdrop of profound personal loss, including the passing of her husband and later her fiancé of 9.5 years, Sandy, the film reveals how art has been a guiding light through grief. Her ocean-inspired works stand as both a tribute to life’s beauty and a testament to the healing power of creativity.
Viewers can support the film by purchasing tickets for the Local Filmmaker Shorts program via the Lift-Off Festival website or through the direct checkout link:
Checkout.liftoff.network/local-los-angeles-lift-off-2025/
Watch the teaser here: Instagram Trailer
Conclusion – The Lasting Impression of Clara Berta’s Work
Clara Berta’s art is a conversation between emotion, nature, and the human experience. Through her intuitive process, her fascination with water, and her deep understanding of psychology, she creates paintings that are as emotionally resonant as they are visually striking.
