Grace Marquez Studio

Have the warm and fuzzies to see my painting of the SS Saganaga’s anchor hanging at Ocean Quest Adventures! We dove the wreck again yesterday, and it was every bit as stunning as the day it first sparked the idea for the painting.

This summer has been a quieter one for my art page, and I wanted to share a little bit of the why.

At first glance, 2024 may have looked like a busy year for me with exhibitions throughout the UK, at the Royal Geographical Society in London and at the Pumphouse Arts Centre in Niagara-on-the-Lake. But what isn’t always visible is that those shows were actually booked the year before. Behind the scenes, most of 2024 was focused on family. In January, my dad was hospitalized with complications following chemo, and he spent the entire year in the hospital.

This year, thankfully, has been a very different season. My dad is home, recovering, and adjusting to life outside the hospital again. That shift inspired me to take the summer off from posting and to be present for the quieter moments.

Now, with September arriving, I feel that familiar sense of change. For me, September has always felt more like a “new year” than January—it’s a season of transitions, nostalgia, and fresh starts. I’m excited about upcoming projects and proposals that will shape 2026, along with more travel and diving to fuel my practice.

In the spirit of returning, I’m revisiting the circle mixed media drawings that first nudged me to start showing my art professionally. The piece I’m sharing here feels like a full-circle moment, both literally and figuratively ("Bubble: Canopy Below" mixed media soft pastel and acrylic paint on paper). ✨

From Inside the Lord Strathcona wreck - I keep painting this wreck, this time from inside the bridge area.

Down there, nothing moves fast.
But everything is changing.
Even in stillness, there’s transformation. Mother Nature transforms every surface and brings life to it as an artificial reef.