Her travels and work on archeological digs have allowed her to unearth ancient artifacts and experience their significance in the place they were used.  This close contact helps her envision the real people who made and used these treasures long ago and wonder about their other treasures that didn't survive to be found. Through imagination and study, these and other images make their way onto her art.

Susan's long love affair with Native American art stems from annual trips with her father to the southwest. As a school age child, she learned first hand as her father, Marion, led her through hills and canyons and told her their mysterious stories, as old as the spoken word. A plaque hangs in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian honoring her father's passion for ancient Native Americans. His ability to share this love touched Susan's life forever.

Susan lives with her husband near the rugged, towering Cascade Mountains and the upper Deschutes River on the western edge of Oregon's High Desert. This vast, wonderful area with its tens of thousands of square miles of natural beauty is a constant source of artistic inspiration and delight for her.