Drawn to the water, land, and my surroundings, I begin with the surface and movement and then dig deeper to unearth the stories that the land and atmosphere are trying to tell me.
![Painting of a river and landscape collaged with maps.](https://www.smarroquin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sm_pulseoftheriver_24x36.jpg)
These stories of human displacement, injustice, generational trauma, and continuous harm to nature are part of a larger dialogue that forms our shared history.
![Painting of a landscape collaged with maps cut into house shapes, with map image transfers in the sky and writing in symbols throughout.](https://www.smarroquin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sm_landbeforehouses_30x24.jpg)
Water is a powerful element and not to be taken for granted.
Capturing a range of archeological components, from ancient history to the present time, into a visual painting, the way I depict water and land is critical, both figuratively and metaphorically.
![Painting of a landscape with house shapes cut out of the canvas along with writing and symbols throughout the painting.](https://www.smarroquin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sm_belongtotheland_30x24.jpg)
Composing work that reflects and promotes the importance of the natural world is vital to my artistic practice.
![Painting of a landscape with a monument and traces of human clothes as a remnant of a battle long ago, with image transfers of battle maps, text writing, and symbols throughout the painting.](https://www.smarroquin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sm_battleoffourlakes_39x27.jpg)
There is almost no news coverage about the effects of rising sea levels on the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Many people there, and around the world, have already lost their homes, livelihoods, and communities.
![Painting of a lady and an infant walking through knee high water collaged with paper and other found objects.](https://www.smarroquin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sm_sinkingisland_16x12.jpg)
Through my compositions, I document and uncover narratives of the marginalized and underrepresented. These points of view comprise our collective experience of fact and fiction.
![Painting of an immigrant and a border patrol officer on a horse net to a river with collaged paper, text and found objects.](https://www.smarroquin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sm_waterunderthebridge_12by16.jpg)
Please view more of my developing Unearthing Series