May 19, 2014 5:57 pm Meet Kyle Hicks Healy- Artist, Teacher, Mother!
What do you love to do with your children? How old are they? And what is your greatest wish for them?
I love to do anything with my kids when they are discovering something new, and to witness the self-confidence and newfound awareness that occurs. When the light bulb goes off and their eyes brighten, it’s miraculous every time.
Bee is six and Tommy is three.
My greatest wish is that my kids each live a life rich with a deep, multi-faceted understanding of the world through culture — art, literature, history, music, athletics, education, etc. — and this understanding helps them to be extraordinarily thoughtful, respectful, and empathetic people. I also hope that they never feel limited and recognize that their possibilities are endless.
When and where are you happiest?
There are many things that make me happy! I suppose the top two are when I am immersed in any kind of creative process… and at the beach with family. The Outer Banks in N.C. is like heaven to me.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I always say Paris! It’s where Tom and I spent our honeymoon. I sometimes daydream about hopping on a plane for the weekend just to spend the entire time at the Musée d’Orsay.
Who had the biggest influence on you? And what qualities do you most admire in a mother?
Well, my parents’ influence on me is undeniable. My dad is a renaissance man – star college athlete, all-state band and choir, incredible artist, excellent teacher and coach. He has such a fantastic sense of humor, and is the best dad. He taught me just by his living example that anything is possible. My mom is my gold standard – patient, kind, devoted, creative, brilliant, and truly good to her core. She’s an amazing artist and teacher as well. If I can even come close to being the mother and person she is, I will feel like I won at life.
Qualities I most admire in a mother… I’ve always believed that the most creativity comes with structure. I’m most impressed by mothers who are present in their kids’ lives, who set parameters while fostering their opportunities for knowledge and success with eternal support and love.
What do you like to do for fun?
I used to say, “If it’s not fun, why do it?” and it’s still my approach to everything. Painting and drawing are like breathing to me. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing someone or something, and it’s so exciting that my artistic pursuits are moving to the forefront at this time in my life. My profession has been teaching, and I sincerely love working with kids and helping them attain their goals – it’s the most rewarding. So, for sheer fun, I suppose it’s exercising outdoors, and singing. I began studying classical voice since I was fifteen and took a break when I started my career in education. I have just recently found my way back to it by performing with the Greenwich Choral Society over the last year, and it’s really a thrill.
What is one of your favorite books? Movies?
My favorite book, apart from anything Jane Austen, is The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford. It’s devastating. The humor is so dark; I love it.
My favorite movie is probably Sense and Sensibility. Jane Austen so beautifully expresses the human condition, and when her stories end you feel like everything is right with the world. Combined with Emma Thompson and Ang Lee, it’s a winner.
What do you feel is one of your strongest qualities?
I think one of my strongest qualities is perseverance. And I like to help others – I have always been service-oriented.
What is your favorite type of food and what do you love to cook?
Favorite food – that’s really hard! I mean I love pretty much anything if it’s done really well. Since I had children, I’ve been extremely influenced by the local food movement, so food that is real and authentic is so important to me. My first oil series actually evolved out of my interest in documenting the progression of a CSA harvest season, partly in hopes of expressing to others the integral beauty of real food. At the opening of Art to the Avenue, one woman observed that my work is full of surprising color, and I explained that I just tried to record the characteristics inherent in the forms of fruit and vegetables themselves. I just depicted the beauty that I saw. I love to bake fruit pies and angel food cake. I also love making apricot jam.
What is your favorite time of day and why?
I am a morning person – I can really focus and get so much accomplished. The morning is when my mind works best.
Where is your favorite place to Party with Moms and what’s your favorite drink?
Anytime I get a chance to really visit with my friends, most of whom are mothers, it’s a joy. I’ve been so impressed with the women I have met since I’ve had kids. I’ve learned so much from them; their unique talents and different approaches to parenting have enhanced my life more than I ever imagined. So the location doesn’t really matter, although someplace where chocolate croissants are involved is never a bad thing. My favorite drink is a good glass of Oregon Pinot Noir.
KYLE HICKS HEALY’s art work depicts the world around her and within her.
After years of working with graphite, ink and watercolor, Kyle began painting with oil in 2005. In 2013 she completed her first oil series, A Farm Season, documenting the weekly progression of a Community Supported Agriculture harvest season in New York. Recently, she returned to watercolor and has found that the resulting effect of light washes, paired with strong charcoal lines, perfectly suits a fundamental aspect of her style.
Her approach is to paint what she sees, with honesty and wonder, relying on her own intuition and sense of balance. In her study of works by masters and contemporary artists, especially Matisse and Cezanne, she is influenced particularly by work that expresses joy grounded in reality.
Kyle lives in Stamford, CT, with her husband, two children, and yellow lab, Hobbs. Her work, including commissioned portraits of children, animals, and houses, are part of many private collections.
Kyle was employed as a language arts teacher at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, CT, before the birth of her children. She continues to work as a private instructor, as well as focusing more on her art.
Kyle is participating in Art to the Avenue and two pieces from the farm share series are currently featured in Eatalian. She has also just finished illustrating a collection of children’s stories for a self-publication, due out in August.
View Kyle’s beautiful website here
Photo by Classic Kids Greenwich Head Photographer, Katie Farro.