Artist Suzanne Etienne was born with a paint brush in her hand -- her left hand. From the first affirmation of her talent at age seven when she won a state poster contest with her golden California poppy until today, Etienne has used vibrant colors and bold strokes to distinguish her work. "To be acknowledged at an early age," Etienne said, "set me on a course as an artist." Realizing the power of the recognition afforded her own work, Etienne enjoys discovering and affirming the talent of others.

Studying fine art at San Jose State University was followed by work as a commercial artist and technical illustrator. When her children were young, Etienne was horrified that no formal art program existed at their school. To remedy the situation, she created one, believing "Art provides an essential ingredient in developing humane humans." After several years that put her art career on hold as she devoted herself to raising a family, Etienne launched her own interior design firm, Suzanne Etienne Design, in 1986.

Working as a decorator, Etienne became masterful at incorporating colors from fabrics and wallpapers into her art. "I thrived on making clients happy with colorful, textural, even humorous paintings that lift the spirits. It was my way of making the world a more beautiful place to be."

Art is both my passion and my solace," Etienne says. "From the time I was coloring with my 64- pack of Crayolas, I have seen art in whatever I'm doing. Art doesn't just stop at the end of the canvas." Her ability to perceive beauty everywhere helps Etienne interpret the good and bad of life in her work. "Painting is my meditation, it's the creative, it's the understanding beyond understanding," she says. Etienne and her attorney husband have two adult children, a son who works in a computer-technology related business, and daughter, Nicole Etienne, who is also an artist.