Susanna was born in Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak. She started her career as a supervisor in the jungles of Borneo helping the indigenous tribes set up co-operatives.

She has spent several years travelling and working in various countries, including India, Singapore and Norway before settling in East Devon in 1988.

It was then that she started to develop seriously as an artist. Her initial works of animals and landscapes of Devon proved popular and she won several prizes in at local clubs and exhibitions. Her work then developed and has been influenced by the post impressionist movement.