Serena McCartney was educated at home by her mother, a former actress and stage manager, whilst her father, a graduate from the Royal College of Art, encouraged her progress by example and discussion. From an early age she developed a great love of drawing little houses and people and was incomplete without felt tip, biro and sketch pad.

While Serena was still a youngster, she was offered a commission by the British Red Cross to take a light-hearted view of a Respite Care Hospital followed by some cartoon work. At the age of 13, "A Seaside Fantasy" was drawn and around 4 years later it was painted.

She sold her first painting (twice!) during the preview of her first exhibition at the Shire House, Bodmin when she was 17. Since then, she has gone on to sell her work as greetings cards and prints, and more recently has exhibited her original paintings at the ‘Innocent Eye’ exhibition St Ives, and the Saffron Gallery in St Agnes.