Barbara Healy brings the color out

May 4, 2021

MARION — Painting and drinks? Wine not?

Barabara Healy is a painter from Dartmouth who focuses on South Coast landscapes, and with her partner Pam Clarkson, teaches painting and wine tasting classes.

“We’re trying to incorporate people that may have not painted before or haven’t painted in 20 years,” she said.

Locals who were able to get tickets before they sold out will be able to take a class with Healy on May 15, as part of the South Coast Spring Arts festival.

Healy said she’s a fan of the outdoors, and that she likes to hike and kayak.

“I paint outside a lot,” she said.

Those paintings usually focus on local landscapes which capture her eye.

“We just live in such a beautiful spot,” Healy said.

Healy has an art degree from UMass Dartmouth, and her work is featured at Roger’s Gallery, Norton Gallery in Padanaram and Gallery at Four in Rhode Island. One year, Healy said her work was featured on billboards for the annual statewide ArtWeek festival.

Healy’s paintings at Roger’s Gallery focus on Tri-Town landscapes, highlighting the colors of the coast.

“It’s done with layers,” Healy noted. “So it does have layers underneath.”

She said the purpose of layering a painting is to have the color on the bottom layers show through.

Healy said it’s a concept she tries to pass on to students at her workshops.

But, Healy said, when she’s teaching a class, the main goal is to make painting approachable.

“I think the ‘paint and sip’ things are just a way to get people to try and paint without a big commitment,” she said. “That’s the whole idea — it’s supposed to be having fun while painting.”