Sue has always been an artist.
Born in Collingwood, Ontario, her innate desire to create beautiful things has sought and found many outlets.
At an early age, her romance with textiles were initially revealed through the art of sewing but her most significant talents were forged as she worked alongside her artist father, Dennis Tupy, the creator of Blue Mountain Pottery. From the age of five she was involved in her father’s factories; it was there working alongside her family that formed the foundation for her creative aspirations.
Circumstances led Sue to explore outlet for her creativity – cooking. At 24, she began a culinary career, while continuing to pursue an art business degree. Her experience as a cook/chef included stints at local restaurants like Christopher’s in Collingwood, Carriages in Thornbury, and eventually her own establishment, Hluboka in Clarksburg, Ontario. During her 20 year career in the food industry, Sue’s talent caught the eye (and taste buds) of culinary author/teacher Bonnie Stern, earning a favourable mention in her Toronto newspaper column. But, eventually Sue’s attention would turn back to the life of an artist.
Happily seeking her passion, and with a desire to lead an authentic life, Sue experimented in the mediums of clay, textiles, wood, metal and paint. She incorporated these into expressions of her unique style, realizing form and/or function in things like landscapes and the whimsical wall hangings and sculptures she creates from recycled oars and paddles – some of the very things that reflect the water and wintry lifestyle of her native Collingwood.
An apt description of ‘Faux Naïve’ was once penned about Sue’s works.
Sue now paints a wide variety of subjects from nudes, landscapes and floral canvases – which reflect the changing seasonal moods of Georgian Bay.
“I’m rebellious by nature. I don’t like to limit myself to any one subject or define my art in a particular way.“
Sue’s artistic path is ever evolving, and her paintings are inspiring, vibrant, and evocative.