Jimmy Lee Sudduth
American, 1910 - 2007
Jimmy Lee Sudduth was born March 10, 1910, in Caines Ridge, Alabama. As a child, Sudduth discovered the color of nature’s palette when he went collecting healing plants with his mother, an herbalist. When he started to paint, Sudduth taught himself to use such materials as mud, plants (turnip greens, watermelon vine and berries), sugar, coffee grounds and tobacco for color. His hands are his brushes, and his fingers create the strokes. Sudduth’s subject matter comes from his everyday surroundings. His unique approach to both life and art has been featured at the Smithsonian and on NBC’s Today Show. Sudduth passed away in September of 2007 and leaves a prolific body of highly-regarded work.
