Behind the Painting: Mary Marquiss on Art, Grief and Serendipity

Some paintings are beautiful. Mary Marquiss makes paintings that answer back. In this conversation, the Oregon artist and author of Behind the Painting reveals how grief, synchronicity, travel, and 30 years of watercolor work turned her art into a mirror for the most life-changing moments of her story.Mary and host Dave Roberts trace the deeply personal paintings in her memoir, including the poppy that became a symbol of unexpected strength, the bird that felt like her sister Betty's spirit, and a cave in Scotland that opened into a moment of profound release. What begins as an art conversation becomes something much larger: a meditation on how creativity helps us survive loss, recognize meaning, and keep moving through the dark toward the light.You'll discover:How Mary's psychology background shaped the way she sees art, memory, and emotionWhy watercolor became the perfect medium for play, layering, and transformationThe role of synchronicity in her travels through Ireland, Scotland, Paris, and southern FranceWhy she believes life is not linear and neither is healing, forgiveness, or growthHow kindness, boundaries, and self-compassion became central themes in both her life and workMary also shares the hard-won wisdom behind surviving divorce, miscarriage, cancer, and the death of loved ones without becoming bitter - and why one small act of kindness can echo for a lifetime. Dave brings his own reflections from psychology, teaching, grief, and spiritual meaning, creating a thoughtful conversation about what art can hold when words fallMARY MARQUISS – BIO AND CONTACT INFORMATIONMarquiss developed her interest in art as a child, surrounded by the lush beauty of Oregon. Originally from Corvallis - she is a fifth generation Oregonian and has lived in Bend for 34 years.Marquiss attended both the University of Oregon and UCLA, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. After graduating she became the Admissions Director for a private psychiatric hospital in Reno, Nevada, owned by HCA with 500 hospitals worldwide. After two years as the hospital Admissions Director she was promoted to Marketing Director and then became a Marketing Consultant for HCA.In 1995 she moved to HCA’s corporate offices in Nashville to become the product manager for Seniority – a benefit that only comes with age - which was franchised in hospitals across the country. When her daughter was born 38 years ago, she left her corporate career and returned to her love of art and writing. “I focused primarily on watercolor because it can be playful, has a beautiful transparency and teaches me about the challenge of controlling this medium – when to take it and when to let go – as in life,” she explains. Marquiss has written and illustrated two cookbooks, and taught art and design classes to both adults and children in Bend for over 30 years. Combing her art and writing she is the author of the forthcoming book: Behind the Painting – An Artist’s Memoir which holds ten of her paintings and a story interwoven behind each one over a thirty years trajectory. This book takes the reader on an adventure with both the high notes in Paris and finding love late in life through challenges she faced including family suicide, a stroke and cancer. Her original art and book information can be seen at www.marymarquiss.com. Email: mary.marquiss@gmail.comBook: Behind the Painting on AmazonMusic licensed through Soundstripe.Code: EUVL5TMU3OAME5WY, 0EMPZ9AVHFR3XLNJSubscribe to the podcast for more great episodes.