We All Come From Water | Town of Bracebridge

On September 12, 2025, the Town unveiled a new mural large-scale mural at 19 Taylor Road. Painted by renowned artist Jacquie Comrie, the mural titled "We All Come From Water" stands as a vibrant and welcoming landmark in the heart of downtown.

Comrie’s large-scale mural uses bold colours, flowing movement, and local imagery to reflect Bracebridge’s strong connection to nature and water. Inspired by the waterfalls, rivers, and lakes that define Muskoka, the mural incorporates abstract patterns drawn from local fish species such as rainbow trout, northern pike, and lake trout. Shades of blue, green, and vibrant accents come together to evoke healing, balance, and renewal; themes central to Comrie’s work with colour therapy.

Through the lens of chromotherapy, this work celebrates the importance of water to Bracebridge, while welcoming viewers to pause, breathe deeply, and immerse themselves in the therapeutic power of colour. People visit the Muskoka region to heal and seek calmness and grounding. This work honours and looks to contribute to that experience of healing. Prompting a moment of introspection, the mural creates a space of colour therapy for everyone.

“We All Come From Water is about honouring water as a source of life and wellness. I hope this piece invites people to pause, breathe, and feel connected to both the landscape and each other. It was my pleasure to create this piece for Bracebridge and work with two talented artists to bring it to life.” - Jacquie Comrie

This project was completed in partnership with the Downtown Bracebridge Business Improvement Area (BIA). The mural location is hosted by North Echo, who collaborated with the Town and BIA on this project.

About the Artist

Jacquie Comrie is an Ontario-based multimedia artist, mother and mental health advocate. Personally and professionally, colour is her medicine and language of emotion.

Comrie's work intersects contemporary art and wellness with colour as her medium of social impact and mental health. With productions globally, she explores colour psychology to create large-scale, chromatic public art installations with a wellness approach. With the current crisis in mental health, Comrie seeks to reimagine public art while creating spaces of healing accessible to everyone.

Comrie's practice integrates colour psychology, chromotherapy, and principles of wellness to produce vibrant, large-scale public artworks designed to support emotional and mental well-being. Chromotherapy, also known as colour or light therapy, is a holistic healing practice that uses colour to balance energy in the body. Different colours have different frequencies and vibrations, each affecting the human body in unique emotional, physical and psychological ways. This is the core of Comrie's work.

Local Mentorship

Jacquie Comrie built strong local connections for the project by collaborating with local arts organization Muskoka Arts and Crafts to engage emerging artists. She mentored two production assistants who supported her in creating the mural: Brynn Kirbyson, a Bracebridge resident, and Jamie Sword, who has ties to the area. Both received hands-on training in large-scale mural creation to support their artistic careers.

Brynn Kirbyson

Brynn Kirbyson is a local emerging artist and art teacher who grew up in Port Carling and now lives in Bracebridge. She was thrilled to be selected based on her portfolio and noted that contributing artistically to her home community is deeply meaningful. As a production assistant, Kirbyson gained hands-on experience with mural work for the first time. Although initially intimidated by the scale of the project, she quickly found her rhythm with the support of her colleagues and Comrie’s guidance. Leaving a creative mark in the community she has always called home was a dream come true for Kirbyson.

Jamie Sword

Jamie Sword is an emerging artist with deep family roots in Bracebridge, where their family has owned property for nearly a century. Having returned from Alberta in February, Sword describes Bracebridge as more of a home than anywhere else, where the voice of the wind in the pines and the rose glow of sunset and sunrise keep the flame in their heart alight. For them, this piece reflects the feeling of wellness that comes from facing life and not giving up. The project has been about recovering from a broken heart and reclaiming the place they call home for themself. Sword expressed that it is an honour be welcomed into the Bracebridge art community and to leave a mark on a place that has shaped their very soul.