Jane (Messick) Dobrowski was born February 17th, 1944
I first met Jane at the Elkhart Art League in the late 1970’s. The
instant I met her we were friends. The connection was so deep that
if I needed or wanted to call Jane the phone would ring and it was
Jane. She always knew when I was calling her. She always inspired my
art and gave the occasional kick in the ass I required. Jane was
beautiful and glowed with radiant energy more so when ticked off.
Jane’s passion for her art and art in general was rooted in her love
for her family. She made sure her kids; Christine, Raymie and Renee
had a home and a place to thrive. Each place Jane lived was
somewhere she converted into a place for her art. Life’s
circumstances didn’t always allow her to create however she was
always a Mom. That profession alone kept her on her toes and
involved with their lives, seeking for each of her kids to find
happiness and knowledge.
Jane had purchased an older house in Elkhart, and with the help of
family and friends, transformed the house and yard into a thing of
beauty. That house became a labor of love that eventually included
her love Norm Dobrowski. They had fallen in love and got married.
They moved to Jacksonville, Florida where Jane’s Art also thrived
After her kids, her home, her art and Norm, came dancing. Jane just
loved to dance with ballroom dancing as the best. Art in motion.
I remember the first piece I saw of Jane’s. It was a watercolor of
her Father standing tending his garden. The piece was fairly simple
except for the sense received from her portrayal of her Father. You
could tell she truly loved him dearly. In the scene he was deep in
thought about life, his world and maybe even his garden. Jane had
inherited his ability with plants to transform the outside and
inside world into a beautiful sea of color. Yard Art.
Jane used to write “Love, Art” for the Elkhart Art League
newsletter, of which she was a member. I was the only one that knew
she wrote it. It expressed her personal feelings about art and the
art world. She was a gifted writer and had perfect penmanship. The
type of perfect script your teachers harped on you to achieve.
Jane loved to experiment with art, inter mixing cultures, plants,
water, architecture and people. While at her service, I was blessed
to see a recent piece she had completed for a second time. The piece
is of Mike and Renee’s children at the beach. Jane, having completed
the piece for Renee, had entered it in a show in Florida. A lady
came to the show, who had been diagnosed with cancer, told Jane how
much it would mean to her if she could buy it. Jane decided she
would do a second piece for Renee and sold the lady the piece. The
second piece is quite exceptional, placing Jane among the masters !
Not many people in this world got to see Jane’s work or know her
family. She had many pieces in shows that should have garnered more
awards and accolades. However, it’s whose hearts we touch in this
world that makes the difference. Jane touched many.
Jane passed away January 26th, 2007. The world isn’t emptier because
she is gone, it is fuller from having had her present. I, like many,
will miss her.
Love, Art
By Scott L. Hendrie
Past member and president of EAL
