CityView Magazine

40 | March/April 2015 Living on Faith art The Art of Caroline Merino W e hear it all the time: military kids are re- silient. ey are able to adapt to new cit- ies, jump into a new school and make new friends aer every move. But what if this resiliency could not only be attributed to their way of life, but also to the idea that they are a part of something much bigger than them- selves? For Caroline Merino, faith drives her success. is 21-year-old extroverted military brat is juggling her senior year at Lib- erty University and her own business as an extraordinary Christian artist. She paints the beauty she finds in her surroundings, and is inspired by cities she's lived in all over the world: from the plains of South Dakota to the New York City skyline to the iconic Eiffel Tower of France. But, she said she couldn't have imagined where this life has led her. "I never expected it to take off," she said. "I never wanted to be an artist." Merino explained that she has always had a passion for art, but saw herself in more of a curator's role- where she could still enjoy the cra, but stay away from the spotlight. "I don't know what hap- pened, because I am in the spotlight and on the sideline because I run my own business and it's a lot of work," she said. Her work is now featured in local hos- pitals and over four galleries in Fayette- ville, but that's nothing to brag about for Merino, who stays grounded through her faith. "I put Ephesians 2:8-9 on eve- rything—from business cards, to post- ers, to Instagram, to my paintings," she said. "It's a constant reminder of who I am." Ephesians 2:8-9 reads: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gi of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Merino explained what this verse means to her, saying, "Whatever we do, we can't use our talents and our work or any- thing of ourselves to earn God's love," she said. "It is a gi and it is by His grace that we are saved and His." She continued, "We could never use our works or, as much as we try, our achievements, etc... because He's the one who saves and forgives us. He says, 'everything in your past is gone; you are clean and free to go. You're mine and I love you.' And I just think that's great… that's unconditional love." Merino's vision for her art is to use her talent to positively impact the lives of those around her. She hopes the verse will either direct curious non-believers to the Bible or spark a conversation with fellow believers. Regardless of where they are in their walk, she hopes her work will be pieces of encouragement for all. Jason Deramo, a fellow believer and local resident, found that to be true for him. "Art is like hope," he said. "And when I look at her paintings, it gives me hope." Deramo was captivated by Meri- no's painting of a rhino displayed in City Center Gallery and Books while he was picking out postcards with his visiting grandmother one aernoon. "It was a re- ally natural-looking piece," he said. "You don't really see things like that around here." e piece reflects the latest style of Caroline Merino Art, which blends the BY KELLIE HUSSMAN

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