The story of Carina
I’m a self taught disabled award winning artist and now an inspirational artist. I was born with a rare genetic disorder called Elhers Danlos Syndrome which caused my spine to collapse twice and many other complications. My spine collapsed at the age of 10 and again at the age of 30. I wasn’t diagnosed with this genetic disorder until 2015. I’ve endured many life saving surgeries and I have defeated death many times. Im truly a walking miracle. I have 26 screws and two rod’s holding my spine. I also have severe learning disabilities and ADHD so school was always a challenge especially with my memory retention problems. I also had to deal with physical deformities.
I have survived two pulmonary embolisms and got out of a very severe and deep depression and anxiety. I feel and believe I’m here for a reason. I’m alive to share my art and story with the world.
I began my art in 2015 at the age of 40 after a near death experience. I was inspired to become an artist by a child prodigy Akiane Kramarik who started painting at the age of four. Her spiritual story and art inspired me to try regardless of all my disabilities and limitations. I began creating realistic drawings and paintings. I found that I can work in many mediums but my medium of choice has become pastels. I discovered pastels in 2019. When the pandemic started in 2020 I began doing my art full time. Since then I’ve created over 85 pastels. Since 2015 I created over 140 drawings and paintings. I enjoy drawing and painting in a photorealistic style using photographs.
I enjoy depicting people, children, pets, wildlife, landscapes, nature, still lives and botanicals. My inability to ever have children of my own draws me to depict them. I enjoy depicting the beauty of nature and everything in it. I don’t enjoy depicting all the trauma I went through. I view my art as incredible form of therapy that helps handle my disabilities a lot better.
Today I view my disabilities very different than I did. My disabilities taught me patience, compassion, empathy and it has made me a much stronger person and fearless. It’s taught me and it continues to teach me many lessons. It’s made me more grateful even for the smallest things. I also discovered that I can depend on myself a lot more than I realized. I began exhibiting my art work in local gallery in 2017 and in September on 2021 I began exhibiting my art online. My work has been accepted in over 200 exhibits and I have received over 170 awards. This year I became one of the winners of the Everylife Rare disease art show in Capitol Hill Washington DC. I feel very grateful and very fortunate to have discovered my passion. I have also discovered it’s never too late to do what you love. All this recognition has made me want to work even harder and it inspires me to continue sharing my miraculous story with the world and give other a renewed sense of hope. Please read my inspirational story on my website. https://caimbrogno.wixsite.com/mysite