Exploring art therapy for chronic pain: how watercolor painting helped one woman cope, heal, and raise awareness
By Sandra Woods, who appeared on the award-winning TV series “You Can’t Ask That” (CBC Television), for an episode on chronic pain.
A lifelong art lover, I’d dreamt of learning to paint with watercolors en plein air, like my art idols: Emily Carr, John Singer Sargent, Tom Thompson, The Group of Seven, and the Impressionists. But the reality was that I couldn’t draw a stick figure! I live with two different rare diseases, one of which caused a mild cognitive impairment in 2018 and severe chronic pain in the bones, joints, nerves, and skin of my right hand and arm since 2016. Of course, I’m right-handed.
In January 2021 I read about researchers using art practice as a pain-management tool, which was the push I needed. I began watching Art School Live, subscribed to PleinAir Magazine, and signed up for many online watercolor courses and workshops.
Realizing quickly that drawing was essential to composing decent paintings, I taught myself to sketch, then I combined my love of outdoor sports with my new love, watercolor painting, by bringing my watercolor supplies on bike rides – and using my bike as an easel whenever I needed rest breaks. Montréal is an island city, so there’s always a lake, river, or stream nearby, and these are my favorite places for plein air painting.
Now an award-winning artist, I use my artworks to raise awareness of chronic pain through my #ArtDespitePain initiative. In my volunteer work in pain-patient advocacy, veterans’ organizations, and as a Patient Partner (co-author) in pain research projects and healthcare organizations, I also encourage others living with pain to try creative pursuits.
Connect with the artist at www.sandrawoods.art.
Editor’s Note: Join us for the 6th Annual Plein Air Live online art conference, featuring Kathleen Hudson, Kevin Macpherson, Kami Mendlik, and many more! The event takes place November 6-8, 2025, with an Essential Techniques Day on November 5. Learn more at PleinAirLive.com.
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