First Friday Santa Cruz

Artist Profile

Artist Profile

Lisa Rupp

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Fiber Arts

Hi, my name is Lisa and I have been creating for as long as I can remember. You may also know me by my other name, Sereia which translates to Mermaid, representing my love of the wild sea and the mystical.

My grandmother, her mother, and her mother before her were all seamstresses. Sewing is in my blood and has been with me through all the twists and turns of my life. When I was eight, I went to a summer sewing camp. My first real creation, apart from the stapled dresses and bedding I made for my dolls, was a jersey knit swimsuit cover-up; I can still remember what it looked like and the stitches I used to make it. While my sewing skills have grown over the years, creating products still brings me as much joy and pride as that first cover-up did all those years ago. This year I have started teaching kids how to sew in my own summer camps, and it has been an amazing experience to continue to share art while building their skills and inspiring the next generation of makers to do the same.

If I live to be 100, I will have seen only a fraction of the wonder this world has to offer. I find inspiration from so many different things – the sea, nature, colors, shapes, textures, cultures outside our own, travel, architecture, the mystical and magical. I value function and utility, time-honored sewing traditions, and the beauty and joy that is available every day all around us.

I love getting lost in the process; overcoming obstacles, problem solving, playing with beautiful materials, and just letting my mind wander while I create~ it is amazing where it will take you when you are in the flow.