Susan Clifton Biography

Susan Clifton, a South Florida artist, has always been viewed as a born artist in her work, as well as in her temperament.

She proudly admits to years of wild abandon canvassing her extra artistic affairs as a dancer, photographer, art director, and graphic and web designer, while to this day, she remains faithful to her first love: Painting.

Though her painting major at Philadelphia College of Art and the School of Visual Arts in New York City provided a strong foundation for her talent, her two greatest mentors entered her life after school was out.

Their fame transcends the international art world of late Twentieth Century Photography. Richard Avedon and Francesco Scavullo worked very closely with Susan during her years as an art director and graphic designer on New York’s mad Madison Avenue. She credits these icons as the essential contributors to her heightened sense of color and composition, as well as her boldness in moving forward as the sole pioneer of a thoughtful new perspective on art itself.

Her latest feat, “Grey Matter,” changes the face of figurative art. This high-energy series of graphics, colors, and words paint us the whole picture of the self we strive to become. We’re inspired by each figure’s thought process that deepens our visual experience with a lasting imprint on our psyches.

When Susan was chosen out of hundreds to represent Florida in a deck of playing cards called “Art in Hand, the U.S.A. Project,” she created Zelda, the fabulous pink flamingo. The painting was selected as the Two of Clubs, and is featured on the box and by the website Fab.com. The cards are sold in gift & museum shops across the country.

Susan received the Broward County Individual Artist’s Grant, and participated in Viva Florida 500.