In 1938 they moved to Guatemala City; her marriage ended after 5 years and in 1940 she met archaeologist explorer Giles Healey whom she married in 1943, settling in Los Angeles before a further filming trip to Mexico.
Encouraged by sculptor Henry Moore in New York in 1946, they moved westwards to Pacific Palisades and in 1947 she studied with both Rico Lebrun and William Brice in Los Angeles.
During her time in Mexico and Big Sur, the Healeys' friendships with other artists are well documented; such as Lee Mullican,[2] Luchita Hurtado,[3] Kaffe Fassett, and Charles and Ray Eames.
[4] Sheila Healey's changing themes over 75 years have displayed continuity with both the portrait and with handling of colour, "an essential human-ness being seen as a consistent thread through all her art.
[5]Healey agreed to sit for sculptor Jon Edgar in West Sussex during 2010 and the terracotta head[7] was unveiled at her Retrospective exhibition at Lewis Elton Gallery in 2012.