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Massachusetts Bay Trading Co.
Artist Profiles
Susan Branch: Author and Artist
Susan Branch of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts is the author of 14 hand-written and water-colored books published since 1986, with over 3 1/2 million copies in print. Her books celebrate the art of the home: cooking, childcare, the four seasons, the little things in life. Her charming water-colors now also grace fine china, fabric, stationery, pajamas, and calendars. Susan and her work have been featured in magazines including Country Living and American Patchwork and Quilting.
"I fell in love with Martha's Vineyard the first time I saw it and moved here in 1982. My 1849 captain's house on the Vineyard, surrounded by lilacs, magnolias, and weeping cherry trees, is like a heart magnet to me," Susan explains. "I love the way the colors change, how you can spend time outdoors and then go inside and light the fire, and how the food you want to eat and serve gets a little bit cozier."
Susan was especially creative as a child; she loved to decorate her house for the holidays, learned to knit, embroider, and sew. At age 30, she painted her first picture – a geranium sitting on the kitchen table, and to her surprise it actually looked just like a geranium! Gradually, the painting, story-telling and writing took hold and all came together in. "Heart of the Home", published in time for Christmas, 1986. She has now published over a dozen very popular books along with calendars, stationery, and fabric designs.