WeHa Art Gallery Virtual Companion
Hello there! This blog post is currently being updated, but feel free to explore what I have so far, or check out other work on my website! Come back soon!
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Interpretation Of ‘Colors Of Colorado’
Unfinished, 2024. Oil on Canvas Painting. Reference film photo by Jakob Lilja-Ruiz.
This is my second oil painting. In March 2024, I took an oil painting class with Patty Meglio. We had to choose a reference image, so I chose “Colors Of Colorado,” a film photo by Jakob Lilja-Ruiz, @portra_papi on Instagram. Here is the exact photo I referenced!
Landscapes always inspire me, so I wanted to pay homage to an artist whose work I admire. Between balancing my business, doing film wedding photography, design work, managing disabilities, and advocacy work, it has taken time to get back to this painting. While unfinished, I plan to complete it in the near future.
This piece is a great example of how disabilities can sometimes delay my personal work. As challenging as it is to show unfinished work, I have learned to be patient with my body and work with it, rather than against it. Check out the slideshow for pictures of my progress thus far, some photos of the process, and the reference image by Jakob!
Fun Fact: I noticed that the colors I mix while painting are often more vibrant than the actual colors in the image. I tend to paint the colors I feel from the image, vs. painting completely accurate colors. I tend to mix the color I believe it to be, then check the reference image. In doing this, I noticed the colors I feel are often much brighter and saturated. I’ve actually been surprised at how dull some colors — which I perceive as vibrant — truly are!
If you would like to reserve this unfinished painting for purchase, please contact me. The current price estimate is $3500. This is subject to change based on time invested and cost of materials.
Brasso, Unfinished, 2024
Oil on Canvas, 6x6 inches
Have you watched Star Wars Andor yet on Disney+? If not, and you want to understand this painting, watch Season 2, Episode 3. Without spoilers, this scene shows a character named Mon Mothma dancing during one of the series’ many emotionally complex moments. To me, it perfectly encapsulated the feeling of being overwhelmed by the state of the world and not knowing how to handle it. When everything feels like it’s falling apart, sometimes moving—dancing, even chaotically—can be a way to ease the weight and shake the feelings out of your body, even if just for a moment. Swipe to see the reference image and watch the timelapse video below!
To reserve this unfinished painting for purchase, please contact me using the form. The current price estimate is $850. Price subject to change based on time invested and cost of materials.
Rainbow Strokes, 2022
Oil on Canvas
This is my very first oil painting. I was not very familiar with the medium at the time and wanted to explore it. I began blending colors to create pretty little gradients and strokes in different directions to see what I could create. This piece made me fall in love with how oil paints blend and it ended up being one of my favorite pieces! It’s newly varnished and I hope you enjoy it!
Price is $6700 (I don’t want to part with it).
Our Backyard in Autumn, Unfinished, 2024
Oil on Canvas, 11x14 inches
This is my third oil painting. I started this in the Fall of 2024. Oil paint takes longer to dry than acrylic paint, so you have to wait in between painting layers. I started this piece when the fall foliage began, but the leaves all fell before I was finished! This autumn I will be sitting enjoying the views once more and working on this piece. Watch the time-lapse video of my progress thus far!
To reserve this unfinished painting for purchase, please contact me. The current price estimate is $1750. Price subject to change based on time invested and cost of materials.
Pink Epoxy Swirls, 2025
Epoxy Resin & Acrylic Paint on Canvas, 14x20 inches.
When life gives you yellowed resin, you make liquid paint pours. Price is $650.
Shimmery Liquid Paint Pour with Cells, 2022
Acrylic Paint on Canvas Panel, 11x14 inches
Experiment with iridescent liquid acrylic paints. My personal favorite paint pour because of the iridescences. Price is $500.
Pastel Liquid Paint Pour, 2022
Acrylic Paint Canvas Panel, 11x14 inches
A painting experimenting with different types of liquid paint pours and using different tools to create movement. Price is $450.
Dorm Room Creation, 2014
Acrylic Paint Canvas Panel, 11x14 inches
(New image to be uploaded ASAP) - middle bottom painting
A color experiment I created in my college dorm room. This piece is significant because it was the first time I decided to paint in years. Price is $475.
Pressed Flowers 1, 2025
Pressed Dried Flowers in a Frame, 6x4 inches
During COVID I decided to pretty-up my vaccine card by pressing some flowers and putting them around my card in this same frame. I liked it so much I made one with just flowers. Now I’m making more! $45
Lamictal, The Life-Saving Medication that Costs a Life Savings, 2025
Prescription Collage on Canvas, 24x36 inches
For about 17 years, I have been taking Lamictal XR, a seizure medication to manage my epilepsy. After trying other medications with more severe side effects in the past, I have been seizure-free nearly 9 years on this medication. But that hasn’t come without a price — both financially and mentally. This collage shows all the side effects and studies (or lack thereof) of Lamictal, which I experience on a daily basis. The foggy, iridescent wash I created over just one Lamictal label represents the dense brain fog I experience, the lethargy, and the bodily heaviness I feel as a result of the medication that keeps me from having a seizure. You might ask yourself, why is she taking the brand name? Isn’t that more expensive? Yes, it is.
The reason I am forced to take brand-name medication is because generic medications are only obligated to have 90%–110% of the brand-name dosage. So if brand-name Lamictal XR is 100% of the medication I need, but I’m given Generic A that has 110%, I’m being over-medicated. The same goes for Generic B, which has 90% — now I’m under-medicated.
Pharmacies make deals to stock the cheapest generic on hand, and this can change frequently. No one generic or distributor can be guaranteed for a significant amount of time. So what happens when I go from Generic A with 110% to Generic B with 90% overnight? I get 20% less medication — and I have a seizure. This happened to me in the past while on generic seizure medications. So then you might ask yourself, why is the pharmacy allowed to change generics? Because it’s labeled an “interchangeable” medication, meaning one generic shouldn’t impact a person differently from another. This may be true when Lamictal is used for bipolar disorder — a person might notice a difference, but it won’t trigger a life-threatening event. For me, if the dosage shifts even slightly, I can have a seizure. That difference could kill me. So I pay the price. Not everyone has the “luxury” of health insurance that will cover brand name and some have to risk having a seizure because of the price. This med should not be labeled as interchangeable and no company should be allowed to charge nearly $7000 for life-saving medication. Scan the QR code to read more about Lamictal & this piece.
The Cost of Being Disabled in America / $25,168.60 of Meds (Plus $ 7,074.75 More), 2025
Prescription Collage on Canvas, 24x36 inches
This larger piece is a collage of 30 prescriptions I’ve picked up since September 2024. With the exception of one Lamictal panel from 2023 (which I used to replace the Lamictal used on the “Lamictal” piece above), these medications add up to $25,168.60. These aren’t even all of my medications; I had to throw some out because I had too many. The smaller collage is my 5 most recent prescriptions, totaling to a retail cost of $32,243.35 in prescriptions I have on hand for the last 12 months. I currently spend no less than $956.59/month on meds & doctors appointments that aren’t covered by Medicaid. This adds up to roughly $11.5k a year of out-of-pocket. 2025 is the first year I have been on Medicaid (known as Husky in CT). In years past on private insurance, I’ve had to spent up to $25,000 on my healthcare in a year, even with insurance. Without Husky, I would’ve paid over $43,722.43 for my health.
Last year, while on private insurance, I had a surgery for Endometriosis, which cost over $65,000. Luckily, it was at the end of the year and I had met my out-of-pocket max, so it was covered, but the cost of being disabled is often more money than I (or any other disabled person) make. This is why people need Medicaid. Scan the QR code for more info about the Importance of Medicaid & the cost of being Disabled in America.
The cost of these two pieces is $32,243.35. Think that’s too much? Me too. Imagine spending $250k over the last 10 years in medical expenses. That’s what being disabled has cost me, monetarily. That’s a small house in CT. I could be a homeowner and have paid off my student debt, but I’m disabled, so I pay for it. Call your representatives and tell them to force Big Pharma to limit the cost of life-saving medications. Both parties are at fault for allowing the expense of healthcare to be detrimental to a person’s life. There’s no reason why we should have a lower life expectancy than every other major country while spending nearly twice as much per capita on healthcare.
I meant to take images of the opening night, and immediately got too busy! The images below are by my boyfriend, Michael’s Mom, Dorothy Vaspasiano. Thank you, Dorothy, and thank you to everyone who came and made it such a special night!
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Hi there! I am an artist & writer with disabilities, and I have been running this Disability & Art Blog unpaid for the past year — sharing personal stories, research, and resources to help others feel seen, informed, and empowered. While I love what I do, I also believe disabled people deserve to be compensated for their time, labor, and expertise. I’m currently crowdfunding to turn this into a sustainable, paid job — one that lets me focus on independent disability journalism, educational content, and artwork that speaks to the real lived experience of being disabled in America.
Help me keep the blog going and expand it into audio & video podcast formats to make it more accessible, engaging, and inclusive. With your help, I can write investigative articles, interview experts, and launch my podcast, Thank You So Much for Asking. Every contribution is meaningful and thoroughly appreciated. Thank you so much for your support! — Sincerely, Briana Raucci
A thank you to my supporters
Thank you to everyone who has donated to my GoFundMe campaign thus far! Your support truly means the world to me. I deeply appreciate that you see the value in this work and that you believe disabled voices, independent journalism, and accessible storytelling are worth funding.
Because of your generosity, I was able to make time to participate in this podcast and write this blog post. That may sound small, but for those of us juggling disability, advocacy, and creative work with limited resources, it’s everything. All the thanks to: Dorothy Vaspasiano, Michael J. Harkey, James Miller, James Mcgee, Vicki Gelpke, Larry Gobel, Wendy Naratil, Taylor Macioci, Judy Petrillo, Stacey DeMartino, Jordyn DeMartino, Maddy Ullman, Joy Panigada, Judith Wilcox, and Lauren Raucci for making this possible!
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