Grace Marquez Studio

06/12/2026

UPDATE: A little peek at what I’ve been working on lately. I haven’t shared many new paintings in a while, but I’ve still been creating, just in different ways 😀

I’m finally working on a children’s book idea I’ve wanted to bring to life for years. I still have my picture books and story books from when I was a kid and the illustrations and stories still inspire me whenever I flip through them!! I’ve finished writing the story and I'm storyboarding the scenes for the whole story before creating all the artwork. I'm aiming to self-publish by the end of the year--at least it's still on my vision board for 2026 😁

Sharing a few of my early character studies for the book.

I’ve also been building a simple web-based app that brings together my sketches, drawing, tracing, and journaling in a quiet, meditative way. Can’t wait to open it up to everyone for use!

So paintings are still coming. I have lots brewing from our Truk Lagoon trip. But right now, I’m letting my creativity wander a little, and it feels really good to finally work on something I've dreamed of for a while! Have a great weekend!! 🦈

04/19/2026

Two spots have opened up on the Philippines trip I’m leading for anyone who’d like to join us! For divers you’ll enjoy turtles on almost every dive, seeing the colourful Mandarin fish on a dusk dive that’ll become a night dive when huge cuttlefish come out and display their colours! Plus we’ll have a painting workshop included as part of the trip where you’ll create your own keepsake of the trip! 🎨

Dive the Philippines with Dan's Dive Shop and explore the beauty that awaits with whalesharks, turtles, reefs, sardines, and so much more.

12/19/2025

Delivered this commissioned painting yesterday and my heart is full. This one captures a special memory from Hawaii, and I feel incredibly lucky to be trusted with moments like this. Thank you so much to Clare for commissioning it for Jeff and for supporting my art. Being able to create something that holds joy, memory, and meaning, and then becomes part of a family’s story, is such a gift. I’m so grateful to get to do this and I love turtles too!🐢💙

12/15/2025

I haven’t posted in a while and honestly—It’s been kind of amazing. There’s something really freeing about working without sharing every step along the way.

That said, 🤣here’s a small detail from a painting I’m delivering this week. I’ll share the full painting once it’s delivered ☺️ I paint a lot of shipwrecks, but moments like this remind me why the living reef still stops me in my tracks. Seeing creatures like this, right where they belong, never gets old.