Paula Di Marco
ARTIST, WRITER, AND GRIEF ADVOCATE
I’m a self-taught watercolor artist, creating in a space that allows and invites mysticism, blurring the line between illusion and reality, and breeding emotional and thought-provoking pieces. As to writing, it didn’t come into my life until 2021, when I lost my partner Alex to suicide, offering a voice, a shelter, and a friend during the perpetual loneliness of grief. I often refer to writing as an unexpected gift from grief and trauma.
I once asked a tarot reader whether I should continue to invest so much of my time and energy into art, whether one day it could turn into something serious. She said, “It doesn't matter what I tell you. You are going to do it anyway. It’s who you are. It gives you clarity, inspiration, and desire to live in this world.”
It's true. Creating allows me to keep the connection to myself alive no matter life circumstances, and it fuels my courage to show up in a world that can feel cruel and nonsensical at times. It's a space that holds me and heals me. It's how I recalibrate. In this space, the outside world no longer matters. Here, I can breathe and let go.
My Story
HOW IT STARTED
Paula was born in California and raised in Argentina, where she first developed her love for art, a passion she inherited from her mother, an artist in her early years. During her teenage years, Paula taught herself to draw by creating portraits of her rock-and-roll crush. However, her life took a different path as she pursued an academic and later a corporate career that kept her away from art. This journey led her to Vancouver, Canada, where she completed a Master of Business Administration at the University of British Columbia.
FINDING MY STYLE
The natural beauty of Vancouver inspired Paula to reconnect with her artistic roots. Between 2015 and 2019, she embarked on a self-designed art education, experimenting with various media and subjects and participating in local art shows. Toward the end of this period, Paula discovered watercolor as the perfect medium to express her ideas with complete freedom. In 2020, she returned to portrait drawing, this time using watercolor to create emotionally charged, surrealist-style faces. This marked the development of her signature style, influenced by contemporary watercolor artists.
LOSS & WRITING
In 2021, Paula turned to writing after the heartbreaking loss of her partner Alex to suicide, a painful conclusion to their brief and complex relationship. Her writing journey evolved into a manuscript, and she is now preparing to release her debut memoir, where she shares her intimate story of suicide grief and healing. Through her blog on Substack, Paula connects with others navigating similar challenges, offering a raw and honest voice to those deep in grief. She also provides insights for supporters, guiding them on how to hold space with compassion and understanding.
INSPIRING OTHERS
Paula’s vulnerability and openness inspire others to find the hope and courage to expand their capacity for pain and love, which is in her eyes the true meaning of resilience. Her journey of healing through creativity demonstrates that from the depths of sorrow, one can indeed stand tall. Today, Paula balances her full-time job as a business analyst with her relentless dedication to creative projects and her advocacy for grief and mental health awareness.
Fun Facts About Me
- I write in English even though Spanish is my first language. I often have to explain to people that, having lived in Vancouver for 10 years now, my most recent memories and life experiences have taken place in English so it’s easier to stick to English when writing about them.
- I share my home with a friendly kitty called Milo who supervises all my creative endeavors and I speak to him in Spanish because I want him to be bilingual just like his mother.
- I love being in the water or by the water, and I’m constantly drawn to the ocean. Maybe that’s why I love watercolors so much. Nothing helps me breathe like water.
- I love dancing to upbeat live music around town as much as staying home and writing about sad and heavy subjects, embracing the ever puzzling duality of life.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022 Introspections + Expressions, Kay Meek Arts Centre, Vancouver, Canada
2022 The Pancakes and Booze Art Show, Vancouver, Canada
2022 "Summer 555", Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery, Santa Fe, USA
2022 "ArtBase Virtual Exhibition", The Holy Art, London UK
2022 "Contemporary", Boomer Gallery, London, UK
2019 Too Many Dinner Parties II, Vancouver, Canada
2019 Love in Motion, Vancouver, Canada
2019 Too Many Dinner Parties I, Vancouver, Canada
2018 Eastside Culture Crawl, Vancouver, Canada
2018 “Works on Paper Exhibition”, Federation of Canadian Artists, Vancouver, Canada
2017 “Mail-In Exhibition”, Federation of Canadian Artists, Vancouver, Canada
2017 “Vancouver Arts Meet-Up Group Art Show and Celebration”, The Beaumont Studios, Vancouver, Canada
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018 Wicked Café, Vancouver, Canada
2017 The Drive Coffee Bar, Vancouver, Canada
AWARDS & COLLABORATIONS
2022 Beyond Words Literary Magazine, Issue 28
2022 Bronze Award, “Faces 2022 International Juried Painting Competition”, Camelback Gallery, Scottsdale, USA
2020 “The Time of Covid”, Creative community project to raise funds for DTES Women’s Center, Vancouver, Canada