Susan's career as a professional artist didn't really begin until 1980 when she and her husband moved to Oregon. While raising her children, she joined a support group of nature artists and, with their help, began to show her work in local galleries. Now an Oregon resident, she lives with her husband Jim and children Rachael and Dan on several acres of wild woodland which provide settings and subjects for her paintings.

In 1989, her paintings were discovered in a small Portland gallery by Wild Wings. She now has over forty limited editions and her work is featured in a yearly songbirds calendar published by Bookmark. She enjoys sharing her unique methods and insights with other artists and nature lovers in watercolor workshops and seminars.