sandycanvas
My name is Sandy, aka Sandra Howard, the lifestyle photographer, artist and illustrator behind the sandycanvas.com blog. I use this portfolio as a way of participating and sharing my photographs, artwork and ideas with anyone engaged in its posts.
I live with my inspirational fiancee Steve Pell and my two pets, a Siberian husky and a Tabby cat - all of whom are an amazing influence to my life. My photography sessions focus on capturing modern maternity, newborn, baby, adult or group portraits, as well as engagement, wedding or events photography. My style could be described as a mix between photojournalist and fine art photography. I also contribute to three of the top leading stock photography agencies, iStockphoto, ShutterStock and Dreamstime.
I fill my spare time creating mehndi-inspired patterned works. Rather than limiting myself to only a standard canvas, I have taken on the challenge of patterning many of my own surroundings, including my purses, backpacks, walls, notebooks, and even my shoes. In January of 2008, while residing in Kitchener, Ontario, I painted a large-scale mural in my loft. A major newspaper decided to write a feature piece to cover the mural's inspiration and progression stages, entitled "When art hits the wall", which was published on the newspaper's front spread.
I have organized my work into categories listed across the top of this page. Check out my latest posts.
Raves
"Working with Sandra to photograph our 6 month old daughter was a pleasure from day one. Her professionalism was evident in how smooth the entire process felt. She inquired in the initial meeting about our ideas and expectations while adding some of her artistic flare to the creative process. The day of the shoot Sandra created a relaxed and fun environment for our daughter to shine. She was very patient and flexible with Sophia and her needs. Her photographs have a unique style and captured the personality of Sophia in a very natural way. We are extremely pleased with the results and will definitely hire Sandra again." Mike and Marsha, Baby Portrait Photoshoot, February 13, 2010
"Sandra photographed our wedding in 2009 and we found her to be very creative while keeping true to our requests. Our pictures turned out beautifully and our guests gave her high praise for being such a gifted photographer. Sandra was very available, approachable and receptive to our -
suggestions which made her an excellent choice for us. It was a pleasure for us to have her shoot and be a part of one of the most important days in our lives and we couldn't be happier with the way every picture turned out." Steph and Stephen, Married October 24, 2009
"I met Sandra in 2006 when she was at the University of Limerick, Ireland. I very quickly saw that she was a fine photographer and commissioned her to shoot some images for our prospectus. This proved to be a smart move, as she produced some great shots for us. Sandra's work is vibrant, youthful and imaginative. She brings a fresh style and an original eye to her photography. Her work does not look like anyone else's. It is unique. It is clear from her images that she loves people. Her portraits are warm, human and compassionate and she really captures the best of her sitters' personalities." Sean Reidy, Marketing Director, University of Limerick, Ireland
Twitter Feed | Pell Studio
Publications | Awards
- Wall Art: cutting-edge wall designs including wall painting, wallpaper and wall decorations, Dopress Books, 2010
- Artful Henna - Art Not Terminal Gallery, Seattle, 2010
- Honourable Mention, Canadian Geographic Magazine, 2010
- Feature Newspaper Article, Where Art Hits the Wall, 2008
Networking
- Facebook | SandyCanvas Photography