Adventures in Africa Series - Teresa Bernard Oil Paintings

Africa paintings

A sense of adventure runs through these paintings about Africa, carrying a hint of a journey just beneath the surface.

Exploring the Vibrant Heart of Africa on Canvas

The Adventures in Africa Series began with a single commission request and quickly grew into an ongoing body of work. Many of the paintings in this collection were created for clients, while others came from my own desire to explore Africa on canvas.

Africa has fascinated me since childhood. I used to imagine going on safari, camping among exotic wildlife, and photographing animals in their natural habitat. In my young mind, there was no danger—only wonder, color, and the thrill of seeing creatures I had only read about.

That sense of adventure stayed with me. As a child, Africa represented the ultimate journey — the safari, the exotic animals, the vast landscapes, and the way movies and television portrayed life there. All of it fed my imagination and shaped the way I pictured the world beyond my own. There was a romance to it — a sense of mystery, beauty, and wildness that made Africa feel like a place where anything could happen. Painting these scenes let me return to that early fascination and explore the Africa I dreamed about long before I ever picked up a paintbrush.

Though I’ve never set foot in Africa, the continent has lived in my imagination since childhood, and painting these scenes has only deepened my fascination. Each piece brings that early wonder back to life, stirring up the same sense of awe I felt as a little girl dreaming of faraway places.