Sandra Woods

An amateur nature photographer while working in healthcare, I began learning to paint in 2021 as brain-plasticity or neuroplasticity training for two effects of a rare disease; chronic pain and a Mild Cognitive Impairment. 

The moment I picked up a paintbrush, I fell in love with watercolours for their luminosity and transparency. One of my watercolours won a national art competition in 2021, and another 1^st Prize in an amateur arts competition in 2022 across Montreal Island. Still dabbling in photography, one of my nature photos finished second in a national photo contest in 2021. In Professional Artists’ competitions, my paintings took an Honourable Mention in 2024 and 2^nd Prize at the Conseil des arts de Montréal (Montreal Arts Council) in 2025. 

My watercolours have sold in Canada and the U.S. and have appeared in a 3-month solo show, juried exhibitions in both countries – including international exhibitions of Canada’s two major national art societies, the Federation of Canadian Artists and Society of Canadian Artists – and in more than 60 group exhibitions to-date. 

Accredited as a Professional Artist by the federal Canada Council for the Arts and provincial Regroupement des artistes en arts visuels au Québec (RAAV; association representing visual artists), I was honoured to also be named an “Exhibiting Member” of the Federation of Canadian Artists after a juried review of my artwork.