10 Questions with Sondra Bernstein
Sondra Bernstein, renowned in Sonoma for her culinary ventures, has added back “artist” to her resume and, in the past few years, has embarked on a remarkable journey as a digital artist, embracing the world of AI and the metaverse. Known in the art community as 4everKurious, Bernstein is showcasing her lifelong passion for creativity and innovation in a completely new light.
After a successful 35-year tenure in the hospitality industry, Bernstein has reconnected with her roots in fine arts photography, a field in which she holds a bachelor’s degree. This transition marks a significant shift from her role as the proprietor of the Girl & the Fig, the Fig café & winebar, and other ventures to a focus on digital and AI-driven art.
Bernstein’s exploration into the digital art realm is not just a personal pursuit but a collective journey as well. She is an early member and curator for an international art collective known as SearchLight, a platform that shines a spotlight on unseen artists. In addition to her curatorial role, Bernstein is a prolific creator and collector, contributing to and advocating for the growing field of AI art.
In January 2023, Bernstein took on the role of resident artist at The Girl & the Fig, transforming the space into a gallery where her digital art is displayed year-round. A generous portion of the proceeds from her art sales is dedicated to supporting the Sonoma FIG Foundation, underscoring her commitment to giving back to the community that has been an integral part of her journey.
Bernstein’s work is a testament to the evolving landscape of art in the digital age, challenging conventional notions and embracing new technologies. Her journey is a vivid example of lifelong learning and adaptation, proving that creativity knows no bounds.
Sondra Bernstein - Portrait
ARTIST STATEMENT
Since college, photography has been her language of art. She focused on what could be seen through the viewfinder, creating art from reality and capturing moments in time. Sondra never altered her photographs to create visuals from something that wasn't there. However, the thought of absurd fantastical beings, surreal and dreamlike imagery, and finding ways to create new worlds always intrigued her—she just didn't know how to make it happen.
Then came AI art, bringing with it a new way for her to express the stories that bounce through her mind. Having only been creating AI art for the past three years, it has been a journey of discovering what is possible and exploring the available technology. It has also been a thought-provoking time as she navigates the controversy surrounding AI.
In the beginning, Sondra experimented with everything—art techniques, artist styles, use of colour, transparency, intentional motion, and texture. About six months in, she revisited many of her photography files and started incorporating them into her AI art, whether as full images or just snippets of colour, design, and texture. She wanted to intentionally include a piece of her original art DNA into each work she created. Since then, she has produced hundreds of images and collections, each generation influencing the next. She believes her role as an artist depends heavily on her ability to curate herself and her subject matter.
In the world of AI, the struggle to be original and offer a new perspective is real. Sondra often dashes from one subject matter to another, testing new techniques and styles before moving on to the next. Sometimes, it feels like her attention span is quite brief.
In Pieces, Digital AI, 2023 © Sondra Bernstein
INTERVIEW
First of all, let's start from the basics. What first drew you to art?
My lifelong passion for art has deep roots in my childhood, profoundly shaped by the artistic spirit of my mother. She was a dedicated practising artist, skillfully working with a diverse range of mediums, including the fluid transparency of watercolours, the rich texture of oils, and the innovative combinations of mixed media. Beyond her own artistic endeavours, both my parents have deeply engaged art enthusiasts and avid collectors, demonstrating a particular fondness for discovering and appreciating the works of talented yet perhaps unrecognized artists. Our family life was enriched by frequent excursions to museums, where we were immersed in diverse artistic expressions and historical contexts. Furthermore, we were consistently encouraged to explore our own creative inclinations through various art classes and a generally supportive environment that nurtured all forms of artistic exploration.
This early and sustained exposure to the art world naturally influenced my academic path. Throughout my early schooling, I consistently found myself drawn to and actively participating in art classes, where I could engage with different materials and techniques. This inherent inclination towards artistic expression persisted beyond my high school years. Following graduation, I made a conscious decision to focus my creative energy and dedicated my time to the specific mediums of photography, with its capacity to capture fleeting moments and unique perspectives, and mixed media, which offered a boundless platform for experimentation and the integration of diverse materials and concepts.
Pieced Together, Digital AI, 2023 © Sondra Bernstein
After a successful career in hospitality, what inspired you to return to your roots in fine arts and explore digital and AI art?
After dedicating over forty years to the fast-paced restaurant business, I deliberately decided to transition away from daily operational responsibilities. This decision stemmed from a desire to decelerate, reignite my creative impulses, and begin a new chapter in my personal and professional evolution.
The shift from restaurateur to digital artist involved more than just changing mediums; it marked a fundamental alteration in how I expressed my creativity. In restaurants, success was often immediately apparent: a customer's satisfied expression upon tasting a dish or their enjoyment of a wine pairing provided instant gratification. Conversely, digital art demands a different form of patience and perspective. The fulfilment it offers arises not from immediate external reactions but from a more internal and reflective creative process. It centres on the individual artistic journey and the significance embedded within the artwork itself.
Although I remain involved in the restaurant sector, my main focus and self-perception have evolved. I now primarily identify as the founder and partner of these ventures, but significantly, also as their resident artist. This evolving identity enables me to integrate my extensive experience with my newfound passion, forging a distinctive connection between the culinary and digital art domains.
How has your background in photography shaped your approach to creating AI-generated artwork?
Curation is vital in both photography and AI-generated art. While the possibilities are limitless, the final selection for public view embodies the intended creative expression.
My exploration into digital art and AI began in late 2020 and has been a constant learning experience due to the field's rapid evolution. The vast potential of these technologies to enhance my creative expression captivated me. I see a significant similarity between photography and digital art, starting with the essential tools: the camera, its settings, the computer, and the numerous applications used in artistic creation.
My days evolved into a dynamic interplay of experimenting with new imaging tools and refining concepts, frequently using AI language models to articulate my ideas. This technological collaboration has been both thrilling and a profound source of inspiration.
Blind Clarity, Digital AI, 2024 © Sondra Bernstein
Repeat and fade, Digital AI, 2025 © Sondra Bernstein
What excites you most about working with AI as an artistic tool?
Struggling with how to get the ideas in my head onto paper or canvas has always been a hurdle for me as an artist. It felt like there was always something lost in translation. That's why AI art tools have been such a game-changer. They've made it possible to finally connect what I imagine with what I can create. I'm free to play around with different styles, dive into unusual subjects, and quickly refine my work, which is amazing. Plus, the AI art world is constantly changing, which keeps things super interesting. There's always something new to learn and try, pushing me to grow as an artist. I'm reallyexcited about what AI can do for creativity and how I fit into it all. There's so much potential, and that's what keeps me going.
Can you describe your creative process? How do you begin a new piece or collection?
Honestly, it depends a lot on what I'm working on right now. But really, what drives my work is how I build on things over time. As an artist, I've got tons of photos and AI images, and I'm all about layering them up in my projects. I take old ideas, rework them, and turn them into something new. Each layer adds something fresh—a different angle, a new twist—and the whole thing evolves. I get to look at ideas from all sides, use what I've learned, and sometimes just see what happens when I mix it all together. It's not about just doing the same thing over and over, it's more like a cycle of taking stuff apart and putting it back together in new ways, which ends up creating this big, connected web of art.
Fading In, Digital AI, 2024 © Sondra Bernstein
You incorporate elements from your original photography into your AI work. How do you decide what to include?
Photography has been my artistic voice since college, where I concentrated on capturing genuine moments through my lens, creating art from reality. I adhered to a purist philosophy, refraining from manipulating my photographs to fabricate scenes. The arrival of AI as a creative instrument has been particularly revolutionary for me, enabling the visualization and materialization of images directly from my imagination, beyond the limitations of my camera.
By intentionally integrating my original photography with AI enhancements, I infuse each piece with my creative DNA.This synthesis is especially significant given the current debates surrounding authenticity in AI art. Utilizing my ownphotographic elements as fundamental layers—as exemplified in my recent poppy series, which originated from my flower photography before AI transformation—I forge a connection between captured reality and imaginative vision. Whether using entire images or photographic swatches based on colour, texture, or lines, this layering method allows me to preserve a personal link to my creations while transcending the conventional boundaries of photography. This results in artwork that is both authentically mine and creatively expansive in ways unattainable through either medium in isolation.
What kinds of themes or stories are you most drawn to expressing through your AI-generated art?
My exploration of human feelings and thoughts is deepening as I transition from the hospitality industry. This shift allows me to delve into the intricacies of emotional landscapes, the architecture of thought patterns, the journey of personal development, and the diverse pathways of human growth. I am particularly drawn to the abstract representation of these internal experiences and find immense potential in leveraging artificial intelligence as a tool for visualization. The ability to transform non-concrete concepts into tangible visual forms is a significant driver of my enthusiasm for working with AI.
Furthermore, my deep-seated connection with the natural world, particularly the realm of plants, serves as a constant source of inspiration. A review of my digital artwork would reveal a consistent presence of botanical themes, a testament to their enduring influence. The complexity and beauty are inherent in the plant kingdom offer an inexhaustible wellspring of ideas, ensuring its continued prominence in my creative endeavours. This intertwining of abstract psychological concepts and the concrete imagery of nature fuels my artistic vision and my fascination with the expressive capabilities of artificial intelligence.
The Look, Digital AI, 2023 © Sondra Bernstein
You're also a curator and collector for SearchLight. How do these roles influence your own artistic practice?
SearchLight, a precursor to computerized open calls like HUG and JOYN, served as an early platform for showcasing emerging artists. This grassroots effort necessitated significant time and dedication to build relationships with both artists and curators. Initially, my administrative responsibilities focused on process improvement and information consolidation. However, through collaborative work and observation, I recognized my innate curatorial instincts, a realization that my time at SearchLight cemented.
Curating, whether of others' creations or one's own, is as vital as the art itself. It demands careful selection and presentation, influencing how viewers perceive and interpret the work. Although SearchLight is very sporadic with theiropen calls, my personal pursuit of art continues.
The rise of digital platforms has revolutionized the art world, introducing novel opportunities for visibility and connection. Nevertheless, the fundamental principles of curation endure. A curator's role transcends simple selection, encompassing the creation of a narrative, the encouragement of discussion, and the provision of context. Within an increasingly crowded art scene, the curator's critical judgment and thoughtful methodologies are crucial for guiding audiences and elevating artists' voices.
My primary motivation has always been to support fellow artists, appreciate creative expression, and share my enthusiasm for art. Having long exceeded the wall space in my home, embracing digital art and displaying it on screens has been a welcome development.
Looking ahead, are there new technologies, themes, or collaborations you're eager to explore in your future projects?
Staying current with technology feels like a constant challenge, though I have always been drawn to new and shiny gadgets and enjoy trying them.
Despite the allure of the latest innovations, I constantly find myself returning to Midjourney. Its familiar environment provides a sense of comfort, and while the platform continuously evolves with updates and new features, I appreciate the creative freedom it offers.
Cherries, digital AI, 2025 © Sondra Bernstein
Peaches, digital AI, 2025 © Sondra Bernstein
And lastly, what are you working on now? Do you have any new projects or series you would like to share with our readers?
Having recently returned from an awe-inspiring journey through Peru, my immediate focus has shifted to the extensive task of curating and refining the hundreds of photographs captured during my travels. The landscapes, the people, the ancient sites – each subject holds a unique story waiting to be told. Beyond the traditional editing workflow, I'm particularly eager to explore the burgeoning capabilities of artificial intelligence in image manipulation. This feels like entering uncharted territory, a fascinating experiment to witness how AI algorithms might interpret and transform the raw essence of my photographic work, potentially imbuing it with entirely new emotional layers and aesthetic dimensions.
The possibilities seem limitless, and the outcome remains delightfully uncertain. Will AI enhance the existing narratives within my images, or will it lead them down unexpected creative paths? This exploration is driven by a desire to push the boundaries of my artistic practice and to understand how these emerging technologies can interact with and redefine the established principles of photography. I anticipate that this period of experimentation will be pivotal, shaping the direction of my future creative endeavours.
Undoubtedly, the most compelling results from this process will find their place in the next issue of ARTCHRONICLES. This upcoming edition is envisioned as a dialogue between the time-honoured craft of photography and the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. It's a personal investigation into the evolving landscape of art creation, a quest to understand where my artistic voice resides within this dynamic interplay of tradition and innovation. Ultimately, this exploration is about charting a course for my artistic journey in a world increasingly influenced by intelligent technologies.
Artist’s Talk
Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.
