About the Artist
Artist Bio
Christina Serra was born to a Cuban-American family in Miami, Florida, but mostly grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, where she spent a lot of time in the woods.
Typical themes in her wool paintings are quiet strength, personal growth, various animals, landscapes and figures of women. Horses have had a major impact on her imagination, from early childhood into adulthood, which is evident in her works today.
Christina enjoys seeing the viewers’ curiosity piqued as they view her artwork. “At first glance, people usually assume that the pieces are typical paintings, but as they come closer, they discover that what they are looking at is actually some entirely different medium. I love it when people ask about the medium, because then I get to explain about the process, which often leads to some interesting conversations,” she said. Since she’s been drawing and painting for many years, using another medium is really no different…it’s just another way to visually communicate an emotion, feeling or message. The wool paintings are made using self-dyed wool, blending and layering the colors together as one would with 'regular' paint.
Christina’s works have been shown in galleries in North Carolina and she had a solo exhibit at Centrepoint Basel. Living just outside of Basel, she enjoys exploring her new country and is excited to share her work with people in Switzerland.
Christina Serra
General
My main current passions are: needle-felting (wool fiber), watercolors, spinning wool (drop spindle and spinning wheel), weaving (rigid heddle loom), woodcarving, sewing clothes and costumes, leather work and crochet.
Needle-felting is like painting a picture. I use carded and dyed wool fibers as my paint, and barbed needles as my brush. My feltings are usually animals in natural backgrounds. I also am really intrigued with Story, Myth and Legend, and how those long-time ideas can be portrayed in different experiments. I've been happily stabbing away at wool since October 2007.
In painting with watercolors, there is a range of sometimes painting with wild and free deep-color washes, letting the paint and water move freely on the paper, to the contrast of very precise lines and color layer application in the colorful bodies and the more realistic animal portraits. My first piece was of a haflinger pony in the Alps, entitled ‘Lippity Haflinger’ (2007).
Spinning wool into yarn is a very relaxing activity, with home-spun yarn being the by-product. Then came weaving. I weave the yarn on a table-top rigid heddle style loom, into long pieces of fabric.
My woodcarvings are small embodiments of my theme of natural mediums and subjects of strong spirit. I carve sculptures of small spirit animals which fit warmly in one’s hand; wood-blocks for my own prints, and eye-catching wall reliefs.
Publications~
(In no particular order)
- WNC Magazine - Posting by Grovewood Gallery, photo and description of a piece in the gallery. Feb/March 2013.
-The Laurel Magazine, Feb 2010
-the Asheville CItizen Times
'CHRISTINA SERRA: “Wooly Nature: Adventures in Needle-Felted Wall Art,” Woolworth Walk, 25 Haywood St., Asheville, to Feb. 27. 254-9234.'
-Mountain Express
'05 thru Feb 27 Woolworth Walk Gallery Through SA (2/27) - Asheville artist Christina Serra will be showing her newest needle-felted wall pieces. Info: www.christinaserra.com.'
-Woolworth Walk "Nature Merging"
February 1-27, 2010
Opening Reception: Friday February 5, 2010 from 4-6 p.m.
Artists: Diana Christian: Paintings and Christina Serra: Paintings and Felt Art
For the month of February the F.W. Gallery at Woolworth Walk will feature the work of local artists Christina Serra and Diana Christian in the show Nature Merging. Felt artist Christina Serra was first inspired to begin felting in 2007 after visiting the Animal Fiber Fair at the Agricultural Center. She says that “Needle felting is like painting a picture. I use carded and dyed wool fibers as my paint, and barbed needles as my brush.” Christina creates colorful felt wall hangings often of nature scenes and figures ranging from people and animals to festive pumpkins and Christmas trees. Painter Diana Christian works predominantly with acrylic paint and adds realism to her work through shadows and detail. She nearly always paints from photographs a family member takes, which for Diana adds a personal connection to the piece. Come to the opening reception on February 5th from 4-6 p.m. to meet Christina and Diana and experience the art of nature merging through paint and felt.
- WNC Magazine - Posting by Grovewood Gallery, photo and description of a piece in the gallery. Feb/March 2013.
-The Laurel Magazine, Feb 2010
-the Asheville CItizen Times
'CHRISTINA SERRA: “Wooly Nature: Adventures in Needle-Felted Wall Art,” Woolworth Walk, 25 Haywood St., Asheville, to Feb. 27. 254-9234.'
-Mountain Express
'05 thru Feb 27 Woolworth Walk Gallery Through SA (2/27) - Asheville artist Christina Serra will be showing her newest needle-felted wall pieces. Info: www.christinaserra.com.'
-Woolworth Walk "Nature Merging"
February 1-27, 2010
Opening Reception: Friday February 5, 2010 from 4-6 p.m.
Artists: Diana Christian: Paintings and Christina Serra: Paintings and Felt Art
For the month of February the F.W. Gallery at Woolworth Walk will feature the work of local artists Christina Serra and Diana Christian in the show Nature Merging. Felt artist Christina Serra was first inspired to begin felting in 2007 after visiting the Animal Fiber Fair at the Agricultural Center. She says that “Needle felting is like painting a picture. I use carded and dyed wool fibers as my paint, and barbed needles as my brush.” Christina creates colorful felt wall hangings often of nature scenes and figures ranging from people and animals to festive pumpkins and Christmas trees. Painter Diana Christian works predominantly with acrylic paint and adds realism to her work through shadows and detail. She nearly always paints from photographs a family member takes, which for Diana adds a personal connection to the piece. Come to the opening reception on February 5th from 4-6 p.m. to meet Christina and Diana and experience the art of nature merging through paint and felt.
Artist Bio (USA)
About the Artist Christina Serra
Birthplace Miami, Florida, April 10
Seen at Local art/craft shows
Galleries (Past and Present)
Grovewood Gallery, Asheville NC October 2012-2016
Buffalo Gallery, Shelby
Flat Rock Bakery, Flat Rock NC October 2010
444 Gallery, Asheville NC April 2010
Women in the Moon, Waynesville NC March 2009
Woolworth Walk, Asheville NC June 2009
Art From the Heart, Black Mountain NC August 2009- 2016~
Southern Fried Gallery, Townsend TN December 2009
Asheville NC Homecrafts, Asheville NC November 2008-2017
Resident Artist Program at the Grove Arcade Arts and Heritage Gallery, Asheville NC. March-September 2008
Permanent installation of work at Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel, while working with Classy Glass co. (of Waynesville). 16 carved glass panels, in railings of second floor
Education
Two years attending Haywood Community College ; Arts
Self-taught, beginning dates of each medium below:
Crochet-since childhood
Sewing-since childhood
Watercolors-January 2007
Woodcarving-February 2007
Needle-Felting-October 2007
Block-Printing-July 2008
Birthplace Miami, Florida, April 10
Seen at Local art/craft shows
Galleries (Past and Present)
Grovewood Gallery, Asheville NC October 2012-2016
Buffalo Gallery, Shelby
Flat Rock Bakery, Flat Rock NC October 2010
444 Gallery, Asheville NC April 2010
Women in the Moon, Waynesville NC March 2009
Woolworth Walk, Asheville NC June 2009
Art From the Heart, Black Mountain NC August 2009- 2016~
Southern Fried Gallery, Townsend TN December 2009
Asheville NC Homecrafts, Asheville NC November 2008-2017
Resident Artist Program at the Grove Arcade Arts and Heritage Gallery, Asheville NC. March-September 2008
Permanent installation of work at Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel, while working with Classy Glass co. (of Waynesville). 16 carved glass panels, in railings of second floor
Education
Two years attending Haywood Community College ; Arts
Self-taught, beginning dates of each medium below:
Crochet-since childhood
Sewing-since childhood
Watercolors-January 2007
Woodcarving-February 2007
Needle-Felting-October 2007
Block-Printing-July 2008
Other Interesting Information Proving that I am an Actual Human Being:
April 11, 2012 (revised Feb 18, 2013, then again on Aug 10, 2019 at 1:23 AM, then on Jan 18, 2022 at 7:03 PM)
This bit probably wont be updated very much, because it is not top on my priority list of 'fun things I like to do with my time'. Also probably why it is hidden away, at the bottom of a very hard to find page, underneath the 'serious' bits 'artists' are required to labor over (because just making art isn't enough, they want to make sure you will jump through hoops as well).
Okay, I LOVE making things. Creating things, thinking, inventing, making better things, learning about other peoples creations. Everything is exciting. And I want to do it all. NOW. No, I do not want to wash the dishes first, or work on my website, I want to MAKE and LEARN. Now. All of the time. (I'd like to travel some more too. ) If I were to give you a list of my interests....well, maybe better to give you a list of things I am not interested in: Hmmm.... housecleaning, serious stuff, and bad people. Im not interested in those things even existing on this planet/plane/universe/dimensions.
Lightening list of current favorites, from the top of my head:
Authors/books; Terry Pratchett, Dianna Wynne Jones, etc, and serious learny historical stuff
Music; Aurelio Voltaire, SJ Tucker, Faun, Nightwish, Anything with classical Cello in Minor, Disney Movie soundtracks... things on this flavor, list too long.
Films/TV; Hayao Miyazaki animations; Avatar the Last Airbender animated series; Disney/Pixar films, esp Brave.
Important Projects; Be decent human-person (all in/out planes), be a good mother.
Random stuff I enjoy; Camp/hike/forest/trees/nature/dirt, gardening, taiqi/martial arts, spinning wool, weaving, sewing, design.
Big Projects: Be a Real Artist some day, buy a castle, travel.
Medium Projects: Go to sleep at a Reasonable Hour.
Smaller Projects; Learn/do Everything. Everything else.
Insignificant; mow the lawn, move that vegetable bed, make a plan for the next Slug Battle Season, probably should shower today, maybe get a haircut eventually.
Yes, well, that pretty much sums it up:)
Thank you for your attention span, and if you have any actual questions, feel free to email me via my contacts page.
Oh yeah, also, if you would like to become my personal sponsor, please let me know. In case you are wondering WHY one might consider taking such a step, here is an interesting blog post that I randomly found interesting: Reasons You Should Sponsor an Artist Also, any sponsors of mine would get EXCELLENT deals, tons of my art, made just for them, with deep appreciation and excitement. One of these days, maybe I'll even work up some sort of packaging deals, to make it easier, though I keep thinking back to the days of artists past, and wondering how they worked with their sponsors. Hey, I could come paint your ceiling sometime.....
Viva la ART!!!!!
This bit probably wont be updated very much, because it is not top on my priority list of 'fun things I like to do with my time'. Also probably why it is hidden away, at the bottom of a very hard to find page, underneath the 'serious' bits 'artists' are required to labor over (because just making art isn't enough, they want to make sure you will jump through hoops as well).
Okay, I LOVE making things. Creating things, thinking, inventing, making better things, learning about other peoples creations. Everything is exciting. And I want to do it all. NOW. No, I do not want to wash the dishes first, or work on my website, I want to MAKE and LEARN. Now. All of the time. (I'd like to travel some more too. ) If I were to give you a list of my interests....well, maybe better to give you a list of things I am not interested in: Hmmm.... housecleaning, serious stuff, and bad people. Im not interested in those things even existing on this planet/plane/universe/dimensions.
Lightening list of current favorites, from the top of my head:
Authors/books; Terry Pratchett, Dianna Wynne Jones, etc, and serious learny historical stuff
Music; Aurelio Voltaire, SJ Tucker, Faun, Nightwish, Anything with classical Cello in Minor, Disney Movie soundtracks... things on this flavor, list too long.
Films/TV; Hayao Miyazaki animations; Avatar the Last Airbender animated series; Disney/Pixar films, esp Brave.
Important Projects; Be decent human-person (all in/out planes), be a good mother.
Random stuff I enjoy; Camp/hike/forest/trees/nature/dirt, gardening, taiqi/martial arts, spinning wool, weaving, sewing, design.
Big Projects: Be a Real Artist some day, buy a castle, travel.
Medium Projects: Go to sleep at a Reasonable Hour.
Smaller Projects; Learn/do Everything. Everything else.
Insignificant; mow the lawn, move that vegetable bed, make a plan for the next Slug Battle Season, probably should shower today, maybe get a haircut eventually.
Yes, well, that pretty much sums it up:)
Thank you for your attention span, and if you have any actual questions, feel free to email me via my contacts page.
Oh yeah, also, if you would like to become my personal sponsor, please let me know. In case you are wondering WHY one might consider taking such a step, here is an interesting blog post that I randomly found interesting: Reasons You Should Sponsor an Artist Also, any sponsors of mine would get EXCELLENT deals, tons of my art, made just for them, with deep appreciation and excitement. One of these days, maybe I'll even work up some sort of packaging deals, to make it easier, though I keep thinking back to the days of artists past, and wondering how they worked with their sponsors. Hey, I could come paint your ceiling sometime.....
Viva la ART!!!!!
