Susan McDonald was born on a farm in Illinois, USA and grew up in Miami, Florida. After being awarded a Bachelor of Science degree and Masters in Business Administration in the 1980s, she had diverse careers including steel pipeline welder in Oklahoma, research scientist in Arizona, film critic in Japan and entrepreneur in London. Whilst living in Tokyo she studied calligraphy, leading her to create her own idiosyncratic, non-conformist ink paintings, using fragments of Japanese characters and symbols.

After living and working several years in Asia, Susan moved permanently to London. Largely self-taught, she constantly expands her practice by experimenting and playing. Her abundant life experiences continue to inspire fresh avenues of exploration and discovery.