Mike Healey was born in Brazil in 1951.

Healey later moved to Scotland in 1962. He studied art at the Glasgow School of Artl under the direction of John Cunningham graduating in 1975 with a first. In the mid 1970’s Mike went on to win a number of art awards including the Haldane Drawing Award and the Leverhulme Traveling Scholarship to the United States. In 1976 he was awarded a Post Diploma.

Following graduation Mike Healey worked in Rio de Janeiro from 1977 to 1981. As a freelance designer Healey created several paintings, murals, and illustrations for many people and organisations most notably a variety of Brazilian Government agencies.

Mike Healey returned to Scotland in the early 1980s. He initially worked as a designer in Glasgow from 1981 to 1983. Then Healey became a Senior Lecturer in the Glasgow School of Art teaching art from 1983 to 1997 when the increasing demand for his paintings led him to resign his position in order to concentrate on full time painting.

Since then Mike has established himself as a very successful Scottish artist who is a true painter of the Glasgow Art School. Healey is a figurative artist whose stylistic antecedents can be traced back through the flat perspectives of Scottish Artist Anne Redpath to the vivid colours of Scottish Colourist artist Cadell.

Mike Healey contemporary paintings display a richness whether he is painting: Still Life, Scottish Landscapes ; Scottish Marine ; Snow Scenes or the Cote D’Azur. Mike also paints bold spontaneous beach scenes in the Highlands and Islands.

Mike is essentially a Plein Air painter. In his paintings the vivid bravura strokes successfully capture Mike’s direct response to the elements. Capturing the changing visual effect of nature on his surroundings is very important. In Mike Healey’s own words, “It goes beyond paintings- the scents, noises, the wind and sound of the sea. All these influences contribute to the act of painting.”

Mike Healey has exhibited extensively throughout his career in Modern British Art galleries. In addition to Red Rag Gallery Mike has exhibited in his native Scotland and various English galleries. Healey's paintings have also been shown in New York, Philadelphia and Maryland.

Mike Healey paintings can be found in many art collections worldwide, notably those of Glasgow School of Art, the European Parliament and the Royal Mail.