Tony Podue is a second-generation artist who grew up in San Pedro enjoying the spectacular views of the Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors. As a young boy, he used to sit and watch his father paint fantastic views of the port, and showing such interest, his father went to the closet, pulled out an old shoebox lid, squirted out some paints, handed him a brush and a small canvas board and told him to go paint something.  He completed his very first oil painting at the age of five and has been painting ever since.     

Tony is self-taught and has worked in virtually all medias, but prefers acrylics and oils because of their vibrant colors and infinite pallets. He likes to work in photo realism style, because it offers the greatest challenge and even greater reward when executed properly. He has had some success in this effort, as he has won more the 1000 awards in local, national and international juried open shows over the past 25 years.  He has been a featured artist in The Faces and Place book and in several art magazines. He has art in several private collections and artwork on permanent display in the Los Angeles City Fire Department Historical Society Museum.     

Tony feels art to be a very rewarding and therapeutic past time and believes in giving back to the many organizations he belongs to. Tony has served as president of the Anaheim Art Association for 4 years, the Orange Art Association for 5 years, Lakewood Arts Association for 8 years, Huntington Beach Art League for one term, currently serves as the Executive Director of the Arts Colony since 2019, and serves at the Gallery Chairman for the Cypress Art League, just to name a few.