Artist Frank Murdoch needed a quiet place. He was bipolar and underwater was his peaceful refuge. Scuba diving was more than a hobby. He incorporated what he felt underwater into his art, and began a series of paintings of the underwater. He drew most of his preliminary sketches using a carpenter’s pencil while diving. The book The Quiet Place was the culmination of his life’s work and was meant to be the best of Murdoch. It was his biggest regret that it was never published.
Murdoch's underwater paintings are unusual in underwater art in that they are of the Pacific Northwest. Forty-five of these paintings are owned by his 3 children. Several are owned by good friends of Murdoch — diving buddies.
