Angela Osborn

dark spots

BY Angela Osborn
MEDIUM Acrylic on canvas

I am a disabled Louisiana Puerto Rican/Irish artist with degenerative disc disease, PTSD and on top of that ADHD. This painting is a map of my mind when I am in pain. The colors, structure and symbolism that I reach for in my art sometimes are obstructed by the pain, anxiety and stress of my reality, so much so that it taints my work. I normally work in regionalist landscapes or portraits, but when pain dominates I tend to lean towards abstract emotionalism.

The dark spots and lines around the colors represent PTSD and how it permeates and scars everything around me even in the brightest moments. The shapes and sections of the painting are forms of memories. There is a tiny area with a hole in it that represents memory loss that is inevitable with age. The messier collage aspect of the work represents ADHD and how combined with other health and mental issues it can all be overwhelming. This represents my desire to express my frustrations and face my troubles head on.