About the Artist 

Family was always important to Suzy Shealy’s firstborn son, Army SGT A. Joseph Derrick, and his genuine concern for families – military and civilian – in their time of great need was a part of his daily life.  Joseph, an MP with the 411^th MP Co., Ft. Hood, TX, lost his life serving his country in Baghdad, Iraq on September 23, 2005.

With over 600 digital photos from Joseph's flash drive that came to her with his personal effects, she began painting her Iraq Series.  As Suzy paints from these photos, she reflects on her beloved son's life and contemplates which images he might have taken and why the images he kept were important to him; helping her celebrate his life and deal with her grief in a meaningful way.  Using these original oil paintings, Suzy has had Gicleé Prints on artist quality watercolor paper made and feels it only fitting that the sales of these gicleé prints benefit charities that minister to military families to honor Joseph’s memory and all who selflessly serve our nation in the Armed Forces.   

Suzy is a member and At-Large Board Member of Trenholm Artists Guild, the Cultural Council, the Portrait Society of America. President of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Columbia, SC and a member of the Board of Trustees of The Walker Foundation.  She has also studied privately with noted portrait artist, Michael Del Priore, studied under Michel McNinch, has attended workshops by Susan Mayfield, Robert H. Way, and Michael Story.  In addition to her ongoing Iraqi Series, featured in the August 2007 Lake Murray -Columbia™ Magazine, she paints commissioned portraits, pets, horses and wildlife, canvas floor cloths in acrylics, and furniture.  Suzy's Iraq Series has also been featured in The Los Angeles Times with numerous newspapers picking up the article Nationwide.  GuidePosts Magazine published an article about her Iraq Series in February 2009 and July 30, 2009 she had the privilege of presenting a set of her Iraq Series Gicleé prints to General Casey.  She also presented President George W. Bush with framed giclee prints of "Calling Home' and "No Greater Love" on November 4, 2007, which will hang in his Presidential Library. 

She has been happily married to husband Carey for over 26 years.  They are blessed with three adult children; a son William, who lives in Charleston, SC and will graduate from MUSC with his PharmD in May, 2010,daughter Elizabeth, a graduate of Spartanburg Methodist College who works with her Dad in the family business, and a son Joseph, who looks down on them all from Heaven.

Thank you for visiting Suzy's site!
As we each journey down the road given us let us never forget
what really matters in this life

OUR FAMILY
are they knit together with love, respect, and unity?
OUR RELATIONSHIPS
are they motivated by unconditional love?
OUR FRIENDS
are they truly appreciated for the gifts they are?
THE WONDER OF GOD'S CREATION
may you always stop to smell the roses!

ALL of these things give me my passion to paint!