Serena Buonaguidi-Haynes

Serena was born in London 1968 to Danish/Italian parents. She studied painting and Sculpture at Epsom Art College, where she started casting faces and taught herself basic prosthetics. Going on to become a successful makeup artist, working in advertising. Serena began painting again eleven years ago, from her mother’s studio in Chelsea where she established a loyal clientele. Painting with the canvases flat on the floor she uses bold brush strokes for the backgrounds and finger painting for the figures, using wire to scratch in the finer detail. Serena moved to New Zealand 10 years ago and settled in Nelson. Her inspiration to paint deer came from moving from Auckland City to an amazing lifestyle block out of Nelson. Being surrounded by wildlife, Serena became intrigued by how deer are commonly portrayed in mythology as supernatural animals, and fairy cattle, messengers from another world. Loving the idea that her paintings embrace the mythical aesthetic, appearing ethereal and dream like.