Sandra Iafrate
About
Sandra Iafrate
Gate Street Studio
Sandra was born in the Niagara Peninsula, Canada, and has lived and trained in Canada, USA and Australia. She is currently an MFA Painting candidate at Savannah College of Art with undergraduate degree in Mass Communications at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, as well completed graduate work in International Journalism at City University London, England. She has worked in publishing, broadcasting and public relations over the years. Once Sandra left the workforce to raise a family, she began to take formal art classes from award-winning Canadian water colourist Nancy Hughes in Calgary, Alberta. Sandra has also developed her skill through various ateliers and workshops, learning drawing and oil painting with renowned artists; the late Kevin Taylor at Brighton Arts Society in Melbourne, and Juan Martinez at the Academy of Realist Art in Toronto.
Sandra Iafrate and Ringo, Abundance 78"x108" oil on linen
In 2015, she was selected by Golden Artist Colors Inc. to be a member of their GOLDEN Artist Educator Program and she is now able to teach the complex make-up and use of paints, pigments, mediums and material in a safe studio environment. Sandra had contributed to the art world as a docent for the Art Gallery of Ontario, co-founder of North Toronto Group of Artists, McLean, Virginia Project for the Arts, Art Toronto, and has facilitated many community and school arts projects and festivals. She has also devised a studio-based art curriculum for grades 10, 11 and 12 in compliance with the Ontario Curriculum which was used in a highly kinesthetic learning environment. She contributes annually to Children’s Aid Foundation Canada, Art for Cancer and Kids Help Phone and many other charitable organizations.
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Sandra pairs her studio time working as an artist, illustrator and writer, in both Canada and the U.S. She offers a one-week painting holiday in Europe every year. Sandra's original and published works are exhibited and sold internationally.