Today we’d like to introduce you to Carina Tenaglia.
Hi Carina, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always been a creative in some way, shape, or form. I attended summer art camps and took AP (Advanced Placement) art class in high school, but even outside of that was always looking for excuses to create homemade artwork or decorations for the holidays–things like that. When I was attending my undergraduate institution, I got back into painting and created small country, world, and state map paintings for sale to earn some spending money. I really enjoyed having painting as a creative and therapeutic outlet. I paused my painting for a while after I graduated, shifting focus to prepare myself for law school. Once I moved into my DC studio apartment, I realized that the place could use a bit of a facelift and that could be easily achieved with some light and airy artwork. I promptly bought a few canvases and got to work! From there, I was hooked. I started thinking about creating more work, and as you can imagine, creating and accumulating work in an approximately 500 square-foot space in the heart of DC is not exactly a great long-term plan. So, I finally took a leap of faith in the summer of 2018 and formally announced the launch of my art business. Today, my business is known as Carina Tenaglia Fine Art, but I initially began under the trade name, DC Brushes & Strokes. Under the DCBS name, I participated in my first two art shows with the RAW Artist Group in DC. The response and support were overwhelming! I had, for the first time ever, strangers believe in and purchase my artwork. I mean, this was the first time I had non-family members or friends purchasing in and expressing excitement about my work. Needless to say, it was an extremely validating feeling. Since then, I’ve participated in several exhibits, local and international, I’ve participated in dozens of pop-up events around the DMV including at locations like West Elm, and am working with interior design groups to have my work featured in a few local hotels in the coming months. I sell my work through my website, carinatenaglia.com, and through local shops like Park Story, Shop Made in DC, Shop Made in Virginia, and Steadfast Supply. I’m excited to continue growing my brand and presence and to continue also using my work to support non-profits and social justice initiatives, which is part of the mission behind my work.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I tried to start off without heavy expectations on myself. Have I made enough in the first few years to fully support myself? No, but that also wasn’t the goal. I work full-time as an attorney at an international “big law” firm, so I’ve had to adjust my goals and expectations accordingly. There are some weeks or months that creating can be more challenging, due to limited time and energy or simply hitting a creative rut. I’ve had moments of doubt when certain pieces of work I loved didn’t sell. I actually had one piece at my first or second art show not sell — it became a running joke that it was propped up on my coffee table in my studio apartment, so it was lovingly nicknamed “Coffee Table Painting.” I originally listed that piece for maybe $200 about three years ago. Since then, I have created prints of the same piece, and pieces of the same size and nature would now sell for multiple times the price. I’ve had special requests to purchase or recreate a similar piece. But all in all, I’ve tried to reflect on moments like that as lessons. Not everything works out the way we want or hope in that moment. Sometimes it takes years to see our own growth or success. It’s not without some disappointments or bumps in the road. But I can surely say that the journey as a whole has been absolutely worth it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in textured abstract paintings, in which I strive to add depth, contrast light, and shadows, and often infuse metallic paint or materials to bring my pieces to life. My work primarily consists of neutral-toned pieces and/or metallics, although I do accept commissions for other color schemes and release occasional seasonal collections like my Cherry Blossom and Seaside series that embody broader and brighter color palettes.
Since Spring of 2020, I have also begun donating a portion of proceeds to non-profit organizations, particularly focusing on social justice initiatives, but also others focused on supporting the needs of our communities. Since then, purchases made have helped support nearly $2,000 in fundraising efforts for organizations including but not limited to NVRDC, DCVLP, the Capital Area Food Bank, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Stop AAPI Hate, the Loveland Foundation, the Trevor Project, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, Legal Aid of DC, and St. Jude’s.
I’m most proud of the I’ve been able to incorporate a social justice mission into my work, most notably through my Humanity collection in 2020 in the wake of widely publicized, but unfortunately not unique, instances of police brutality against Black and minority identifying individuals. My Tears of America piece, in particular, is my most significant, meaningful piece of work, which I spent months brainstorming, sketching, and creating, to represent what felt like a pivotal moment of American history, in which I tried to capture symbolic elements and themes that would evoke those same sentiments by reflecting on the piece. Although it is not part of my own story, and I feel that’s important to acknowledge, the series was intended to initiate difficult conversations. I named each piece with what I felt were thought-provoking titles like “Are You on the Right Side of History or White Side of History,” “Dangers of Whitewashing,” “Gentrification,” “Unlearning,” and “Growth” to elicit feelings and responses that might make us uncomfortable, but also spark the first step towards challenging us to learn, grow, and come together as a community.
I’m currently brainstorming a possible series to reflect my thoughts and current events with respect to the refugee crisis, and my experiences as an attorney who represents asylum seekers through my pro bono legal work.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’m an attorney, and as most of us will tell you, we are a pretty risk-averse bunch! I do think though I have taken some risks, however conventional or not those risks may seem. For example, I launched my business while I was a summer associate, knowing that I might not have the time, energy, or stamina to continue with my business. I didn’t have a formal business plan (please don’t tell my business school teachers that!) and I really just had an idea, a passion for it, and took off from there. I also think that some of my collections, again like the Humanity collection, are risky insofar as the content that I am putting out and my thoughts that I share regarding current events, politics, and the like. These can be polarizing topics and I realize and understand that there will be folks who will disagree, but unfortunately, there will also always be people who take it to the next level. I try to message my work that is more political in a manner that communicates my beliefs and my artistic process, I support like-minded causes with dollars from these collections, and I try my best to engage in constructive factual discussions when possible.
Not all risk-taking pans out well, but I feel that to the extent I have taken risks they have generally yielded at least some very positive outcomes, or have resulted in lessons learned that have helped me in other facets of my artistic career.
Pricing:
- Prints start at $50, originals start at $90
- Commissions are available, prices vary
- Pricing will likely increase in the new year
- Pricing is currently listed here but will change by 2022: https://www.carinatenaglia.com/pricing
Contact Info:
- Email: carinatenaglia@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.carinatenaglia.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carinatenagliaart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarinaTenagliaArt/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/carinatenagliaart/
