Carla D'aguanno Fine Art Studios

Biography 

In her hometown of North Providence, R.I., Carla D’aguanno realized she was meant to be an artist at a very young age. She recalls her high school teachers commissioning her to paint their children and grandchildren in high school. After graduating from Otis/Parsons School of Design with a BFA in 1986, she began her career as a movie poster artist, illustrating posters for B movie King, Roger Corman and for other movie advertisement companies in Los Angeles. In 1988 she returned to her native New England town and began illustrating young adult and romance covers for New York publishing companies including Bantam, Doubleday, Pocket Books and Harper Collins.

In 1992 Carla D’aguanno married and soon realized that she needed to paint from the heart and the subjects of her affection. Thus, she turned to fine art and began painting children,animals, and Western genre. Her love for the Pioneer days of the West as well as children and horses is evident in her work.  She describes her technique as expressive representational art.  She claims her greatest challenge is bringing the beauty of her subjects to life on a canvas. Her greatest source of inspiration comes from her faith in God who has given her the skill and ambition to paint since childhood.  She often reflects on life back in the 'Little House on the Prairie' which was one of her favorite shows as a child.  The simple way of life when people actually enjoyed the simple pleasures is what she wants to convey to her viewers.  Her challenge lies in capturing the innocence and beauty of her subjects to glorify the Creator, who in her opinion is the greatest artist of all.   Among her list of awards is the 2001 1st Place Gallery Choice Award from Art Trends magazine and the 2nd Place People’s Choice Award at the Florida Invitational in 2003. In 2006, Venice based publisher, Mill Pond Press began publishing Carla’s work in giclees on canvas. Also, several of her images are now being licensed on puzzles, greeting cards, prints, calendars and other products being sold in the U.S. and Europe.  In 2005 Gallery One in Ohio began selling her first originals in the world of fine art.  Today her originals appear in several private collections and a museum in Texas. Carla’s most recent achievement was becoming the recipient of the John Steven Jones Purchase Award at the 21st Bosque Conservatory Art Classic. The juried show was judged by acclaimed artist, Martin Grelle and her piece entitled ‘Sabino Gold’ won the coveted top award in the show and is now part of the Bosque Conservatory’s private collection.

In 2007, D’aguanno became a member of the Women Artists of the West (WAOW).  In November 2007 Carla’s work was on display at the Hilligoss Gallery in Chicago in the Women Artists Of The West East Meets West Show. Nancy Guzic was the judge of this prestigious show and awarded Ms. D’aguanno’s ‘Keeper Of The Flock’ painting third place . She also received the Horses In Art magazine’s Advertising and Editorial Award for ‘Back From The Dusty Trail’.  

Galleries showing and selling Carla's work in 2008 and 2009 include Saks Gallery, Colorado, and Fredericksburg Art Gallery in Texas.  Her work is still displayed at the Fredericksburg.  She looks forward to being a part of a new line up of shows and auctions in 2010 including the CM Russell Art Auction and Altermann Galleries Art Auctions.  Now represented by Altermann Galleries, D'aguanno looks forward to participating in several shows with this prestigious gallery.   As a member of Oil Painters of America, you can also see her work at the Legacy Gallery in Wyoming in their National Juried Show in April 2010.  Art collectors take notice, for this is an artist to watch.