Patricia Dobrosi-Pearson

I began painting as a child. My babysitter and her friend would take me to school and let me express myself. I did not paint after the age of 6 or so until my divorce in 1999. I had so many feelings and needed the right medium to express them. I started with water paint and then went to acrylics and finally oil. I painted paintings that expressed my anger in 1999 and 2000 and then burned them in my fireplace. I thought this was an excellent cleansing process. Now, I wish I had not.

Later, after making many paintings and giving them as gifts, a friend photographer took a picture of my “Sacrificial Lady” painting and that is when I realized that I should have photographed all of my work for a portfolio. I attempted to track down people who had received my gifts but was unsuccessful in completing a portfolio.

My work is very personal to me. It is my emotional expression. It has never been for commercial purposes. I used to get frustrated in art class because of the disciplines. They wanted me to recreate art. wanted to create new things that contain my feelings even when they are ugly.

“Why Me” was inspired by Hedwig and the Angry Inch. My son came to me when he was just 16 years of age crying and telling me he was gay. I have been fortunate to have many friends and relatives that are gay so, this did not affect my feelings in a negative way. His struggle was heartbreaking. That is what I felt when I painted it. I gave it to him as a gift. He preferred to have a 1920's version of a water lily instead. So, I still have this painting. It is sentimental. In fact, all of my paintings are sentimental. Each one represents moments in my life that I have tried to capture in abstract form.