Meet Sandy

My journey into art – one that I had previously thought was only open to a precious few – began the day that David Millar, artist and friend, handed me a piece of charcoal and a sketch pad. It was the summer of 1989, just after a life altering vacation to the beauty and majesty of the virgin rainforest of Haida Gwaii off the north west coast of Canada. The “my life isn’t a dress rehearsal” moment I experience on that trip opened the door to me expressing my creativity fully.

The early years were spend studying life drawing and watercolour with working artists at the Art Gallery of Ontario. I have continued to learn through workshops and weekly sessions with a number of artists over the years. 

Art, itself, is a great teacher. As with any art form you get to dig deep into who you are and what is important for you to express. My goal is to connect to what is true for me and ultimately for a state of flow, of letting go of the tyranny of thought and just being in the moment with paint and canvas. 

See my C.V.

Trusting the process and embracing play are key tenets to how I work.

 

My subject matter has shifted overtime from watercolour to acrylic and from florals and landscapes to abstraction and the world of ideas. However my love for colour, texture and line has remained constant.

 

When Toronto’s funky new Distillery District opened I was a partner in founding the RedEye Gallery. This meant regular years of immediate feedback from the public and since I am goal oriented it also provided motivation to paint all the time and to hang a new show frequently. Working consistently made a big difference to the connection I had to my work and to keeping the well of creativity primed.

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Currently I divide my time between Winters in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island and Summers in the Kawarthas – Ontario Canada. Two diverse landscapes – culturally, politically and physically. I feel blessed to be able to enjoy both worlds.

The “stay-at-home times” of 2020 brought me into the world of on-line learning and on-line community and I am gratefully immersed in the Art2Life Academy for the last two years with Nicholas Wilton and a supportive crew of fellow creatives.