For me, good paintings begin on the bones of good drawing. So, most days you will find me in my studio, drawing and painting from life. Painting from life means having a set up in front of me if doing a still life or working from a model or sketch captured on painting expeditions. My iPhone is always a reference too. I firmly believe in hours at the easel honing my skills and I play, with design and light and with color, especially. Color makes me happy.
There are many, many artists that I admire for their technique with paint and brush as well as their ability to design and manipulate color. Here are a few you probably know: Rockwell, Loomis, Wolf Kahn, Richard Schmid, Quaing Ho, Nelson Shanks, Lee Collie-White, Dan Gerhartz, Colin Davidson, Lori Putnam and Seth Havercamp. And specifically pastel artists I have had the privilege of seeing work such as Colette Odeya-Smith, Liz Haywood-Sullivan, Jeanne Rosier Smith, Barbara Jaenicke, Kim Lordier, Doug Dawson, Alain Picard, Tony Allain and Margaret Dyer.
Why do I paint? Because I enjoy depicting serendipity, fleeting whimsy; those moments best captured when the subject thinks they are unobserved. I work in soft pastel. I record familiar memories and shared experiences always with a goal to bring a bright, warm smile!
Hello …. this is me! 
Opening of Pastel Society of Connecticut Renaissance in Pastel Show with Cindy Crimmin. 
Presentation of Awards for PSST. Judge of Show, Jeanne Rosier Smith announcing the winner of our national show at the Centre for Arts and Sciences in Clute, Texas. 
Tools of the trade, soft pastels from various manufacturers: Terry Ludwig, Unison, Girault, Mount Vision, Blue Earth, Great American, even a few Rembrandt, Schmincke, Sennelier and Roche. My box of rocks! 
Portrait critique session. Always something to learn, to congratulate and compliment, to suggest and seek other opinions. 
Class Demonstration to students on Tuesday evenings. 
Color theory, making color vibrate combined with pastel technique. One of my favorite classes to teach because someone always has that ‘ah-ha’ moment.
ABOUT ANNE HEALEY
A native of Melbourne, Australia now residing in the United States, Healey has been exhibiting as an artist for more than 20 years.
She is a member of several art societies and is past President of the Pastel Society of Southeast Texas. Healey studied watercolor and design at Monash University’s Centre for Arts and Crafts in Melbourne, Australia; drawing, painting and design at the Glassell School of Art in Houston, Texas, life drawing at DeCordova in Massachussets and, art history at Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia.
She studied pastel extensively with Master Pastelists and accomplished professional artists in the US, Australia, and France.
Healey has had solo and group exhibitions in Massachusetts, upstate New York and in Texas. Additionally, her work can be found online, in galleries, in private and, corporate collections. She currently works in her Providence studio, and lives with her husband and their pandemic pup, Cricket. When she’s not in her studio, she can be found painting pleinair with fellow artists, relaxing with a good book and a fresh brewed cup of builders’ tea.
