Biography
Susan Stockdale creates vibrant, pattern-rich paintings in acrylic and digital media, inspired by the natural world and shaped by a lifelong love of color, texture, and design. Growing up in tropical Miami and the lush countryside of Ireland, she was captivated by the small wonders of nature—petals, feathers, shells—that still spark her imagination today.
She began her art career painting fantastical landscapes for gallery exhibitions before moving into freelance textile design, creating fabrics for national retailers including Lord & Taylor. That deep immersion in pattern and surface design became the visual heartbeat of her work.
Susan later brought this layered, pattern-based approach to children’s literature, becoming the author and illustrator of eleven award-winning nonfiction picture books celebrating the natural world. Her books, including Bring On the Birds, Stripes of All Types, and Fabulous Fishes, have earned honors such as the ALSC Notable Picture Book and the NCTE Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts.
Praised for her luminous “stylized realism,” she combines careful observation with heightened color and whimsy. As The Washington Post noted, “If the paintings are the feast, Stockdale’s words are the dessert.” Her artwork has appeared three times in the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show and has been adapted for puzzles, calendars, and other products. She has also given lectures and talks about her creative process at venues including the National Gallery of Art, the High Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History.
Drawing on years of experience in illustration and design, Susan is now returning to her roots as a painter of imagined worlds. In this latest phase of her career, she extends the natural world into more dreamlike territory, creating compositions that feel both believable and enchanted.
Susan received a B.A. in Studio Art, cum laude, from Occidental College and pursued further studies at Sarah Lawrence College and the Instituto de Cultura in Salamanca, Spain. She lives with her husband in Chevy Chase, Maryland.