Who is Suzie Seerey-Lester? Well, besides being
married to John Seerey-Lester, one of the world's
top wildlife artists, she has been a painter in her
own right for many years. But there is more to
Suzie than her painting.
For some 30 years she was a diver and diving
instructor trainer where she brought her skills to
important use when she worked for the CIA,
teaching CIA agents, Secret Service Agents, FBI
and other law enforcement personnel how to dive,
as well as other "specialized" skills. Before
turning a professional artist, Suzie worked for
several Fortune 500 companies where she excelled
in Sales and Marketing. In her last position in an
international corporation she was responsible for
more than $2 Million in sales per month. She
eventually turned professional artist, leaving the
corporate world behind her, but not forgetting the
skills she had acquired along the way. Even so over
the years she has suffered the pitfalls and hard
knocks of selling art that all artists go through.
From these experiences, she sharpened her
business skills and created these systems to pass
on to other artists. When she is not painting she is
in charge of the business end of the Seerey-Lester
organization. Suzie now travels all over the globe
to paint, from Alaska to Maine, Africa,
Guatemala, England and Spain, with her husband
John.
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She has won several distinguished awards for her art
including: Top 100 in Paint America for two different
paintings, Juror's Award in Paint America for the
judges' favorite painting of the entire show, Judges
Award from LSU School of Veterinary Medicine,
Artist of the Year from the Ocean Foundation, Top
200 and Top 100 in "Arts for the Parks", and has
shown in Bennington Art Museum, Coos Bay Art
Museum, Grants Pass Art Museum, and the
prestigious Leigh Yawkey Woodson's "Birds in Art".
She recently showed with the Audubon Artists at the
prestigious Salmagundi Art Club in New York City.
She has sold pieces at Christie's and Sotheby's Art
Auctions in London, The National Zoo in Washington,
D.C., and the Honolulu Zoo. Suzie was honored by the
Raymond James Financial Organization in "Women in
the Arts" and has her artwork published in "The Best
of Oil Painting" book. Suzie is a member of Society of
Animal Artists (SAA), The Wildlife Artists Association
(WAA), Oil Painters of America (OPA), American
Society of Marine Artists (ASMA), Artists for
Conservation (AFC) and a founding member of
Southern Plein Air Artists (SP AA), and the PhArtists.
Her best selling, award winning book "My Painting is
Done, Now What Do I Do?" is now available to rave
reviews.
From May until November every year Suzie volunteers
for the Mote Marine Loggerhead Research Program on
the "turtle patrol" for the loggerhead turtles. She is
licensed by the State of Florida to identify and verify
nests, collect data, rescue and release the endangered
baby loggerheads and green turtle. Suzie received the
President's Volunteer Service Award in 2008, in
recognition for her valuable service.
In 2000 she married world-renowned wildlife artist,
John Seerey-Lester. They live, work and play in
Florida. Suzie is considered by many to be a real
mermaid.
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