Laura Garcia Serventi
Artist, Brooklyn
Plants
Laura Garcia Serventi is an artist born and raised in Argentina, where she studied painting. She moved to Italy to study photography, then moved to New York to pursue her career in the arts. Her paintings are of plants themselves. She draws much of her inspiration from botanical gardens, old books, and movies. She also makes it a point to visit new gardens when she travels. She aspires to visit New Mexico, as well as the many national parks of the US that she admires from afar with a National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States.
Recently, Laura worked on illustrations and animations with LeSportSac on a Spring/Summer 2017 campaign, and has worked on many other fashion brand collaborations with the likes of Patrizia Pepe, Charles & Keith, and Wonderland. She balances painting, working creatively and collaboratively with her husband–a fashion photographer, venturing to playgrounds with her 4-year-old son, and making trips to her previous home cities in Argentina and Italy when she can.
Notes for Plant Lovers
Best places to observe, enjoy, or buy plants in NYC
Day Trips
New York Botanical Gardens
Not to miss the Haupt Conservatory, a precious greenhouse built in 1902, which encloses an impressive collection of exotic plants and flowers to dream for...
Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
I go here very often to draw, so this one has a special place in my heart. Take a stroll on the new water garden, among the lush greenery and the great variety of hibiscus flowers. Visit the greenhouses representing four different climates and the lily pond terrace.
Wave Hill
One of my favorite places in NY! The beautiful scenery of this mansion and its gardens set against breathtaking views of the Hudson river, make of this place a quite unique public park.
A Break From The City Within The City
Brooklyn Bridge Park
The park is composed of seven ecosystems that both beautify the landscape and offer food and habitat for a vast array of wildlife. You can walk, bike and picnic in the gardens, enjoying the lush vegetation that surrounds them.
Community Gardens
Manhattan and Brooklyn have a large number of community gardens but the many ones in Alphabet City were a surprise to me the first time I noticed them. Even if small in size, these gardens, have a large variety of trees, shrubs, flowers fruits and vegetables growing all together. They are run by community residents and open for the general public. Lucky for us!
The High Line
The High Line is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. Experience the city from a different point of view, walking along nature, art, and design. Large variety of native plants!
Shop
Flower District On 28th Street
Be there early in the morning if you want to find the freshest flowers. One shop next to another, messy, confusing, very busy, but a dream for cut flower lovers. You’ll find a huge variety of blossoms, branches and leaves of all sizes and colors. And just one little tip: walk all the stores before buying, ask prices, and then decide.
You were born and raised in Argentina, so what made you move to New York?
I had studied painting in Argentina and then photography in Italy. I really wanted to pursue a career in the arts and N.Y. seemed like a place where anything could happen...I had no idea of what I was getting into, but it was an amazing adventure.
Your work is obviously inspired by the nature that you represent in your unique beautiful way, what other influences do you have?
Nature is my main inspiration, I love going to Botanical Gardens, every time I travel I visit new ones. But I'm also inspired by other artist’s work, old botanical books and movies.
Do you travel? If so where do you like to go?
Yes, but not as much as I'd like to!
Italy is one of my favorite places, It's gorgeous everywhere you go, a little piece of my heart is always there.
And Argentina, of course, I love going back home.
As nature is your main inspiration, what nature landmarks/locations are still on your bucket list?
New Mexico!
Some years ago I bought the National Geographic guide to the National Parks of the United States. Every once in a while I take it out of the shelf and look at the wonderful photographs on it, I dream of visiting ALL of them, really...the problem is I don't drive a car!
You just had a great collaboration with LeSportSac, can you tell us more about it?
It was part of their Spring/Summer 2017 campaign. They asked me to illustrate and animate a group of tropical flowers. I loved working on that project. I've been doing a lot of collaborations with fashion brands and it's very challenging and a lot of work but very rewarding.
If you could pick your dream collaboration? Where and how would you like your Art to be used?
I'd love to collaborate with a fashion brand creating a series of fabrics and patterns for their new collection,
Or a collaboration with a home decor brand creating a line of wallpaper and home fabrics.
Your idea of happiness?
My husband and son making me laugh, having art be part of my life, weekends.
Your idea of misery?
Lack of freedom
If not yourself, who would you be?
Georgia O'Keeffe, I'd love to live a long artistic life and have an adobe house.
Your heroes?
My doctors, they saved my life two years ago when I had Ovarian Cancer.
What is your present state of mind?
Confused, as always.
Bedside table books?
Right now I have "thousand cranes" byYasunari Kawabata.
What do you do if you can’t sleep at night?
Read
Do you collect?
No
Tea or coffee?
Coffee
What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?
The "catman", a half cat, half man creature that lived on top of the trees and came out at night. You really didn't want to come across him...
A color?
pink
A city?
Florence
What are your plans for this weekend?
Make a volcano kit with my son ( he's 4). Go to the playground. Paint.
Right or left handed?
Right handed
What is the best dish you can cook?
Mmm...Does cake count? Apricot Crostata
What is your middle name?
Laura, my first name is actually Maria, but I never use it.
What do you do in your free time?
Think of new projects. Play with my son.
What inspires you?
People who work hard and overcome obstacles. Love. Friendship.
What do you do for money?
I sell my paintings, originals and prints, and collaborate a lotwith my husband, who is a fashion photographer, creating all kind of projects using illustration and animation.
What do you do for pleasure?
Go outdoors, spend time with friends and family, paint, dance, travel, watch movies, read, eat cake.