Southern California native, Sue Thompson, became an artist after more than 25 years in the food and beverage industry. Fulfilling a lifelong desire to create art, Sue enrolled in a local painting class sponsored by the city’s recreation department in the fall of 1997. She had never painted before. Drawing on her experiences as a food server, bartender and catering specialist, Sue decided to paint what she knows best, restaurant life in front and behind the scenes. Working from photographs, her self-taught style has developed into a unique sense of color and light, Sue’s extensive background in the service world has inspired her subject matter of local bars and eateries. A full-time food server until April 2003, Sue has left her restaurant career to devote herself exclusively to living her life as a professional artist.

Residing in Laguna Beach, California, Sue is an annual exhibitor in the Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach. Her work is collected throughout the southland and has been exhibited in various shows including the Robert Mondavi Food and Wine Center of Southern California. Permanent collections of her work can be viewed at Houston’s Restaurants in New York City, New York and Corona Del Mar, California. Awards include the Sawdust Festival apparel design award for 2001 and the Laguna Beach Brush and Palette Award for 2003 and 2009. In 2006, sponsored by the Montage Resort of Laguna Beach, Sue was one of 8 artists chosen to represent the city of Laguna Beach’s official holiday greeting card. In 2004 Sue signed with Canadian Art Prints and is now published worldwide.

To see more of Sue’s art go to : http://suethompsonart.com/originals.html