About S. A. Walton Studio

From the Great River Road to the Nature Coast

Susan started her studio in 1987 in the American Bottoms, a floodplain many miles wide bordered by the mighty Mississippi River on the west and towering limestone bluffs on the east. It was once the home of a civilization of eastern Indians who left their mark throughout the bottoms and in nearby highlands in the form of massive earthen mounds and leveled plazas, and whose art and astronomical knowledge influenced peoples from the East Coast to the Rocky Mountains, from Canada to the Gulf, by means of an extensive trade network. They created artifacts of Great Lakes copper, Appalachian mica, obsidian from the far west, and shell from North American coasts, even obtaining the teeth of Great White Sharks. They created textiles using fiber from native plants and animals, and developed crops of various kinds even before adopting maize. Their vast fields supported thousands of people, and from the labor and skilled hands of their artisans flowed fine goods to be traded far and wide. They constructed astronomical calendars, and built fortified walls. And then they gradually dispersed, leaving a lot of unanswered questions, as well as artifacts, for the curious. And Susan is very curious. Surrounded by an archaeological mystery, and growing up in a place where heavy industry - refineries, steel mills, and manufacturers meet tidy, orderly fields; where old wooden farmhouses, stockyards and granaries meet suburb and city; where lush bottomland forest meets sunlit lotus-covered lakes and marshes, and tiny remnants of tall-grass prairie cling to railroad tracks, there is a lot to explore, a lot to learn, and a lot to share. The region provided her with considerable inspiration and a long view of history. Growing up among these mounds led Sue to volunteer at various historic sites including Cahokia Mounds State Park, a World Heritage site. That volunteer experience and friendships built in that time led to an appreciation of archaeology, history and nature that shows in her art. Susan has since relocated to the Nature Coast of western Florida, and resides in an area where it is not unusual to find sandhill cranes, osprey, herons, warblers, eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, assorted amphibians, and of course the American alligator. Like the Mississippi River Valley, the Nature Coast is also dotted with mound sites, bogs and swamps which the artist enjoys exploring for new inspiration. While known primarily for painting museum murals of ancient Southeastern peoples and their bottomland surroundings, she is also a nature artist who prefers to weave her subjects into intimate and detailed scenes incorporating carefully rendered native plants, often drawing on stories told by people she meets for added inspiration, in the hope of quietly reminding them to slow down, be still, and reflect on the beauty of creation all around them. Inside this site you will find samples of her work, so please enjoy your visit and be sure to return periodically to see additional works of art, special offers, and information on upcoming shows and workshops.