Sandra Woods Creative Arts

10/09/2026

What do you see in this painting?
I'll give you a hint...
This semi-abstract watercolour is "Tentacles of pain".
It's inspired by my multiple CT scans, for one of my two rare diseases!
Like many people who live with chronic pain, my two rare conditions (CRPS and FMD) are invisible - although one of them does show up in CT scans, but not quite as tentacles!

This is part of my Art Despite Pain initiative, which uses my artwork to raise awareness of and shares my art practice to encourage others living with persistent pain to try creative pursuits to hopefully harness the science of neuroplasticity or brain-plasticity to reduce pain signals within the brain.

10/08/2026

DYK? I paint because of pain! 💥
I began painting specifically as a neuroplasticity or brain-plasticity approach to 2 specific effects of one of my two different rare diseases; a midlife-onset Mild Cognitive Impairment, and severe chronic pain. 🖌
Other symptoms of this autoimmune and neuroinflammatory disease include intermittent autoimmune fatigue and problems with my (dominant) right hand and arm; bone, joint, and skin issues, spasms, tremors, temperature changes - and more.✨️
But I unexpectedly fell in love with the luminosity and transparency of watercolours, after the cognitive impairment ended my previous career in bioethics and research ethics.🔬
I'd read about neuroscience research into the benefits of art appreciation and art creation because I'm a volunteer Patient Partner - and co-author - in pain research... which is often in neuroscience. 🧠
My Art Despite Pain initiative uses my artwork to raise awareness of while sharing my art practice to encourage others living with persistent pain to try creative pursuits to hopefully improve their symptoms and quality of life. 🖼

So I'm honoured that 3 of my 5 paintings accepted into the international "2026 Spotlight" exhibition are part of my Art Despite Pain initiative. ✔️
The exhibition, presented by the Federation of Canadian Artists in collaboration with the Federation Gallery in Vancouver, opened October 1st and continues through the 31st.
You can view all the "Spotlight" artworks, searchable by artists' names, at:
https://federationgallery.com/exhibit/2026_spotlight/4090

My pain paintings are... Man with Migraine (Sold) Breast Cancer Pain Blues; Conversations with survivors Sheltered Sands; pain receding (part of my series of 'pain waves' and 'pain flares', expressed as crashing waves and volcanic eruptions)

10/07/2026

Great turnout tonight the opening Vernissage for the "Slice of Life" presented by Artistes à Montréal//Artists in Montreal at Laoun Georges in Montréal's buzzing Plateau Mont-Royal 'hood!
My contemporary painting "Tulip or W**e Glass?" is featured in this show, after appearing recently in the international juried "Spotlight" exhibition of the Federation of Canadian Artists in collaboration with the Federation Gallery in Vancouver.
Painted using pigments created from only a finely milled gemstone mixed with gum arabic as a binder, this painting shimmers slightly when viewed up close!
The three gemstone pigments I chose for this piece are:
Amethyst for purples
Garnet for reds
Rhodonite for pinks

Drop by until October 31st, if you're in the Montréal area, to see this exhibition of works by local artists!
4012 rue St-Denis, Montréal

10/06/2026

Many of my paintings represent chronic pain or research on pain and for two reasons...
First is my Art Despite Pain initiative, which uses my artwork to raise awareness of chronic pain conditions and shares my art practice to encourage others living with persistent pain to try creative pursuits to hopefully harness the science of neuroplasticity or brain-plasticity to reduce pain signals within the brain.
Second is the fact that I'm involved as a Patient Partner and co-author in pain research - often in neuroscience - which means keeping abreast of cutting-edge science.

Because I'm using art as a neuroscience-based approach to pain management, as well as for my midlife-onset Mild Cognitive Impairment (both effects of the same rare disease), I'm drawn research into the brain sciences and the arts - like this story in Nautilus Magazine yesterday.
If you enjoy this kind of story, let me know so I can post more of them!

"studies looked at whether right-brain activity is linked to creativity.
But these found creative thought needs a widespread network of brain activity spanning both hemispheres, not a right-hemisphere specialty.
Like all good myths, though, there may be a little more to it.
A 2013 study found people whose brains more strongly control for tasks on one side compared to the other were better at the corresponding skill.
For example, the more strongly someone’s language was controlled by the left side of their brain, the better their language performance.
In other words, individual differences in left or right brain functions are real and they do matter for performance, but they don’t apply so broadly as to dictate our personality or thinking style."

https://nautil.us/are-right%E2%80%91brained-people-really-more-creative-1285533

10/05/2026

Vernissage tomorrow night, in the Plateau Mont-Royal 🖼

AIM is having its 3rd Annual Fall Expo 2026
at the Georges Laoun Opticien
4012 St. Denis / Corner Duluth
From October 6 - 31
Vernissage: 6 octobre (17 h - 19h)
Ceremonie de remise des prix a 18 h 15
Viens nous voir !

10/05/2026

Delivered one of my contemporary watercolour paintings to the Plateau Mont-Royal this morning, for an upcoming art show presented by Artistes à Montréal//Artists in Montreal at la Galerie Laoun Georges gallery 🖼
The exhibition "A Slice of Life" / « Une tranche de vie » opens with a 5 à 7 Vernissage on Tuesday October 6th, then continues through the 31st 🎃
After the delivery, my sweetheart & I had to head down the block to the Brulerie St-Denis Brulerie St-Denis coffee roasters & café - a Montréal institution since 1985 - for frothy cappuccino & a pain au chocolat for him ☕️ 🥐

PS: I'll reveal my painting... after the Vernissage!

🧭 October 6 - 31, 2026:
Galerie Georges Laoun Opticien
4012 rue St-Denis, Montréal
[southwest corner of avenue Duluth]

10/04/2026

More good news!
Two of my contemporary paintings have been accepted into the international art exhibition "Emerge", presented by the Federation of Canadian Artists in Vancouver.
Read all about it in this week's blog post on my website:
https://www.sandrawoods.art/blog/emerge_exhibition_in_vancouver_exposition_d_art_emerge_vancouver

It's always nice to start off a new month with some good news! Two of my contemporary watercolour paintings have just been selected for the international "2026 Emerge" exhibition, to be presented next month at the Federation Gallery in Vancouver. Unlike community-based art shows, exhibitions at the....

10/04/2026

Thanks so much to Artistes à Montréal//Artists in Montreal for sharing this art show info! 🎨

Sandra Woods in international juried "2026 Spotlight" Expo of Federation of Canadian Artists, October 1 to 31, 2026. Virtual, via Federation Gallery / Vancouver, BC: https://federationgallery.com/.

Sandra Woods dans le cadre de l'exposition internationale avec Jury « 2026 Spotlight » de la Fédération des artistes canadiens, du 1 au 31 octobre 2026. Virtuelle, via le « Federation Gallery » / Vancouver (C-B) : https://federationgallery.com/.