Suzanne was raised in the town of Three Rivers in the foothills of the Sierras in California. Surrounded by large ranches, she became very familiar with the cowboy life. Her mother was an artist who raised four children during very hard times but always saw to it that her children had art supplies. Her mother also took her youngsters to various artists homes in the area where the children would paint every week. This became a very important part of Suzanne's life. Suzanne has worked as a horse trainer and pack guide. She and her husband raise cattle in the Northern Sierras. This is the area that is most often the subject matter in Suzanne's paintings. She states, "I never want to go too far away from my mountains."