Taranaki-born artist Bernadette Ballantyne graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2005, later training as a primary school teacher. After 13 years in education, she returned to her creative roots and now works as a full-time artist in the Waikato. Working primarily in soft pastels, Bernadette is drawn to the small moments that tell a bigger story—capturing slices of everyday life, childhood wonder, and quiet nostalgia. Her work often explores the relationship between people and place, memory and imagination, with a focus on New Zealand’s rural identity and natural beauty.