Creative Spirit

Serena Mitnik-Miller seemed always destined to become a fine artist. She draws inspiration from nature and simplifies her ideas into paintings that have a wonderful balance of layering, colors and meticulously contoured lines. Serena is also a mother of two, avid surfer, traveller, collector, store owner and currently renovating her Malibu home. Honestly I'm not sure how she finds the time!

Tell me a bit about your childhood. I know you moved around a lot from the East Coast to Kauai, then to Boston and back to the West Coast where you’ve lived in numerous places?

I was born in Massachusetts and moved around on the east coast a bunch before moving to Kauai where I lived until I graduated High School. I went to school in Boston but dropped out after a year and made my way to California with a short detour in Maine. I have lived in California ever since, which is almost 20 years now.

What about your teenage years, what were you into at the time? Any counter-culture movements that you were specifically drawn to?

I was always really creative, big surprise there. I was really into photography, surfing, hiking, camping and nature in general. Growing up in Hawaii is pretty isolating culturally because there was limited access to everything which I think is what drove me to seek out travel and new experiences. I did get really into Marine Biology in High School and spent a few summers doing volunteer programs at UH.

“I was drawn to the simplicity and transparent nature and it just kind of stuck”

Now both of your parents are artists so did they inspire you to seek out your own path in life? Which I presume was always destined to be a creative of sorts.

Yes both my parents are artists, I grew up with my mother, she was a Waldorf teacher and I also went to Waldorf school which was a very creative-focused learning. My father has lived in Santa Fe my whole life and I’ve had the opportunity to visit him over the years. Both my parents live life driven with a creative spirit and have sought out beautiful places that inspire them. I did go through a faze where I thought I had to do something non-creative to be successful but in the end I found my way back to my true calling.

When did you first discover that you wanted to be a fine artist and who inspired you at the time?

Honestly it's something that just came out naturally. I actually tried to suppress it and go to school so I could get a" real job" because I didn't feel like a career in the arts was possible for me. College was tough for me, I had a hard time retaining and comprehending the information. I ended up dropping out and traveling and working in many different creative fields to find my way. I went back to school for photography and discovered printmaking, but was always painting on the side too. After I graduated I had my first show of mostly prints and paintings, but some photos too, and things just grew organically from then on. I think I was very lucky to find myself in a community of like minded creatives and artists in San Francisco who inspired my journey.

Did you work in different mediums before you landed on water colors? What about your color palettes which are simply beautiful?

Watercolor was always around me growing up. It's a part of the Waldorf creative process and my mom is also a watercolorist. I was drawn to the simplicity and transparent nature and it just kind of stuck. I have dabbled in other mediums but I always end up back here. My early work was super colorful and full of contrast but over the years I have been drawn to the subtle monochromatic tones of water and sandstone and earth. Nature is my constant muse.

And your work is extremely intricate and I know it's inspired by natural environments especially the ocean, so can you tell me about your process from ideation to creation?

My work is very methodical, it's like a journey, but there's some math and geometry involved. I lay each piece out with pencil first and explore new patterns no two pieces are ever the same. Once it's laid out, I hand paint each piece line by line. It is a very slow process.

Now aside from being an incredibly talented artist you’re also a founding partner in General Store, a very successful design boutique founded in 2009. How did the idea come about for the store? And are you still overseeing all of the buying / curation for both locations? Any plans to expand the business further?

General Store was born on a whim - my ex and I were living in the outer sunset of San Francisco and I was working at a surf shop and had graduated college with an art degree and was unsure what to do next. I was looking for a studio close to home and our local video store was going out of business and we inquired. The rent was a bit steep for an unestablished artist so we decided to sell some stuff in the front. We called it General Store so we could sell a little bit of everything we loved. The rest is history. We opened the Venice Locations a few years later with friends. I am still overseeing the buying and curation with the help from an incredible team. At the moment the two stores are keeping me incredibly busy but never say never!

Can you tell me about your beautiful house in Malibu where you have your studio, an outdoor tub, skate ramp and trampoline!

It is a dream come true, the acreage and views. I always imagine raising my kids with space to roam and play. Spending so much time at home over the past few years with the kids has been a real blessing, but is definitely a money pit too. Remodeling and maintaining so much space definitely has its challenges. I have added toys to keep the kids occupied and chip away at the remodel bit by bit. Having my own studio for the first time in years has been a real game changer.

“My work is very methodical, it's like a journey, but there's some math and geometry involved”

And what about your new (but very old) F250 truck that I’m extremely jealous about?!

I have always wanted an old truck and finally have the space. I looked for over a year and found the one, it's imperfectly perfect for me. 1968 Ford F250 Camper Special.

You’re also a surfer and regular at First Point so how often are you getting out these days given all of your work commitments and being a mother of two?

I started surfing growing up in Hawaii and it has always been part of my life, I try to weave it in when I can but sometimes other parts of my life take over. Now that I am single and split the time with my kids I am able to squeeze in more surfing when they are with their dad. I do look forward to surfing with them if they want to someday too!

What board are you riding the most?

9'9" Andreini "Serena" which is a pintail hull and in my opinion the best board ever made.

“Both my parents live life driven with a creative spirit and have sought out beautiful places that inspire them”

I know you enjoy traveling and sourcing inspiration for both your art practice and the store so any interesting trips on the horizon?

Just got back from a road trip to Santa Fe with the kids. We hit up Arcosanti, The Painted Desert, White Sands National Park in New Mexico and Saguaro National Park in Tucson.

Top 5 tips in LA?

Back Bone Trail Hikes
Thorne Family Farm Market
The Old Place for Dinner
Rose Bowl for treasures
General Store!

Any music vibes being played in the studio to help you concentrate?

I mostly have been listening to books and podcasts recently and also enjoy silence - I save my strange musical taste for the open road!