A In her hometown of North Providence, R.I., Carla D'aguanno realized she was meant to be an artist at a very young age. 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 as well as 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 horses is also evident in her paintings. 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. It's the interaction between children and animals that this artist finds compelling. She feels the need to capture the innocence and beauty of her subjects to glorify the Creator, who in her opinion is the greatest artist who ever lived.

Among Carla D'aguanno's list of awards, she won a 1st Place Gallery Choice Award from Art Trends magazine in 2001, and the 2nd Place People's Choice Award at the Florida Invitational in 2003. Her most recent accomplishment took place in 2006 when she submitted her work in the 21st Bosque Conservatory Art Classic in Texas. Since one of her favorite artists, Martin Grelle was the judge; it was inevitable to submit her work. Much to her surprise, 'Sabino Gold', her largest painting in the show won the coveted John Steven Jones Purchase Award and now hangs in the Bosque Conservatory as a part of their permanent collection. In 2007 Carla became a member of the Women Artists of the West (WAOW). Her first show with this organization took place at the Hilligoss Gallery in Chicago, and was juried by highly acclaimed artist; Nancy Guzik. Carla received two awards at this East Meets West Annual show. One award was the Vision Award given by Horses in At Magazine which was an editorial and advertisement award for her "Back From The Dusty Trail" painting. In 2008 she looks forward to her first appearance in the Peppertree Art Show in Santa Ynez, California.

Carla D'aguanno considers how far she's come down a road sometimes threw her off the bridge and she remains thankful for the lessons and the blessings. At her easel by the window in her new studio with her cats sunbathing by her side, she recognizes the gift that she's been given for a purpose that she has not yet discovered, but is more than happy to deliver.