Patricia Roncone’s artistic journey began in Sarnia, Ontario, where she was born and raised. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at York University and continued on to the University of Western Ontario, where she received a Bachelor of Education, specializing in Visual Arts. She has been teaching and developing her art practice ever since.

Her current work is dedicated to exploring watercolours and realism, and her subject matter is inspired by nature, inspirational quotes, and personal experiences. Narrative elements and symbols are used to communicate with the viewer, encouraging them to meditate on the ways we seek inner peace, discover our voices, and achieve equilibrium in an often challenging and hectic world.

Roncone’s work has been shown in a variety of group exhibitions, including the 30th International Fine Art Exchange Annual Group show in Quincy, Florida, the Happy Maru Gallery in Seoul, South Korea. She participated in the Brooklyn Art Library’s Sketchbook Projects and has donated works to the annual Twitter Art Exhibit in 2019 and 2020.

She lives and works in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

I create art as a form of therapy and to tell stories. Creating art, for me, is a way to detach from reality where I can contemplate and explore. It is a creative outlet. Even though there are struggles throughout the creative process, solving a problem brings a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. I also believe art can be therapeutic for the viewer. Observing art, which one finds pleasant, can be calming and distracts them from everyday life. This is the aim of my watercolour paintings. I strive to provide a sense of calm to my viewers.

Although my work explores watercolours and realism; nature, personal experiences, and symbolism is the main focus in my artistic practice. Using symbolism allows me to share my experiences without revealing the full story and the identity of the characters remains anonymous; leaving enough room for the viewer’s own interpretations to mingle with mine.

My work is not only introspective. I also strive to bring nature indoors. The right type of imagery and symbolic narrative can evoke a sense of calm and serenity that sometimes is not readily available in our immediate surroundings. In fact, many people live in urban concrete jungles that promote stress and high anxiety. The quality of our surroundings can play a significant role in the health of our thoughts and emotions, so creating an oasis where we can become calmer is, in my opinion, vital. I find that I naturally gravitate towards these images to find balance and inner peace.

Nature is delicate and so are we, but like nature, we are also sturdy and can overcome more than we think. Sometimes the obstacle is the way to test our fortitude and challenge us to achieve personal growth. Especially in the times, we live in now, I hope my work inspires others to never give up and to keep forging forward.