David Healey

My project involved the use of oil and soft pastel on canvas. My research was conducted by looking into how impressionists in the 20th century captured subjects that had been involved in either of the first world wars. My criteria were that those artists needed to have had some involvement in a war. Additionally, my research involved looking at the psychology of trauma and how it effects the body and the eyes.  My project was set out to assess and test if I could effectively capture the emotion, stress, anxiety, and resilience in PTSD sufferers assuming that all those diagnosed with PTSD have the presence of these symptoms and ailments. The subjects of my paintings were all veterans, including myself, who suffer the effects of PTSD from war zones and policing experiences. I was ecstatic with the result of my project.