Obituary: ‘Makeup genius’ Sue Upton worked on the faces of prime ministers to rock stars

Sue Upton was one of Canada's top makeup artists, working on many famous faces and receiving nominations for two Gemini Awards.

Upton began her career in 1985 and worked on TV shows, live performances and music videos. She worked on such people as Tom Hanks, Martin Short, Tim Conway, Joan Rivers, Brian Mulroney, Kim Campbell, Desmond Tutu, Bill Gates, Alanis Morissette, Art Garfunkel, the Spice Girls and Metallica. She worked at the Stratford Festival and for Canada's Walk of Fame.

Upton was also a painter, starting as a watercolour portrait artist in Ottawa where she attended art school.

Upton, who came to Hamilton from Toronto in 2008 with her husband, composer/producer Tim Tickner, died of cancer Dec. 9. No death notice appeared because her friend, musician Astrid Hepner, said it was not her style." Her husband posted a video on Facebook on Dec. 11. Upton was 58.

She was a genius," said Tickner, who is has worked on hundreds of Canadian commercials. She was incredibly impressive, not just her talent. Nobody who knew Sue didn't love Sue."

Hepner said her friend was nonplussed about working on the faces of famous people.

She would talk about doing the makeup for the prime minister and other celebrities, but it was not something she defined herself with," said Hepner, president of the Hamilton Music Collective.

It would just come out in conversation. She would be very humble about it."

Upton jokingly called herself a double Gemini (Award) loser." She was nominated in 2002 for two CBC shows - This Hour Has 22 Minutes" and The Gavin Crawford Show."

Upton became a makeup artist-hair designer through a fortuitous event. She was working for a company in 1984 when it won a bid to handle the staging for the visit by Pope John Paul II to Ottawa. As she got deeper into the project, she got pulled into the makeup work.

She worked at the CBC between 1994 and 2011, and also worked on History Bites" between 2004 and 2008. She did the makeup for Martin Short's 2011 CBC special about coming back to Hamilton called, I, Martin Short, Goes Home," the Royal Canadian Air Farce's New Year's Eve special in 2014, and such productions as King Lear" at Stratford.

Hepner met Upton in 2008 when she did the makeup for a photo shoot. This was about the time she and Tickner moved into a former grocery store on Ferguson Avenue North.

There's such a cool vibe," Upton told The Spectator in 2014 about moving to Hamilton. She, however, got up at 4 a.m. to commute to Toronto.

Hepner called her an amazing artist." Upton did the cover for the 2012 release Little Dreams" by singer Ian Thomas, another friend.

She was so cool, witty, and an eccentric person," said Hepner. She was just one of those giving persons and she was an amazing friend. She would do anything for you. She would just be there."

Thomas met Upton when she did the makeup at a radio awards show in Toronto. Later, she made him up to look like Alexander Graham Bell for a Hamilton event.

She was an unbelievable artist," said Thomas. I was just blown away by her creativity. There was something very personal about her art. There was a joyous rebel in that girl."

He said Upton and Tickner became known for hosting parties of artists that helped foster a sense of community.

She was one of those people who created glue in the community," Thomas added.

Her death was mourned on social media by funnyman Colin Mochrie.

I first met Sue on 22 Minutes and immediately loved her," he said. Funny, supportive, a makeup genius and an artist. We worked a lot on shows with no budget, but you'd never know from her incredible work."

In 2014, Spectator columnist Jeff Mahoney described her paintings as strong, smartly rendered and richly expressive, brimming as she is with character, suggestions of narrative and playful, sometimes surreal surprise."

Upton was born Nov. 21, 1962, the daughter of Jeffery and Therese Upton. Her father was a high-profile member of the Canadian Forces and the intelligence community. He served as military and intelligence representative on the organizing committee of the 1976 Montreal Olympics, then was a member of the privy council and the Intelligence Advisory Committee.

I grew up an army brat," Upton told The Spectator in 2014. I went to 13 schools growing up. Put me down as no fixed address. It's almost a perfect scenario (preparation) for TV production (work)."

Upton is survived by husband Tim Tickner.

Daniel Nolan can be reached at dannolanwrites@gmail.com