Susan Daniel Davidson received a Bachelors of Art in painting from the University of California, Berkeley, then began teaching in public schools. Davidson's work was featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the 1970s and 80s. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, she was greatly influenced by her aunt, who was the Associate Curator of Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Davidson is also greatly influenced by the anti-intellectual, back-to-nature movements of the late 60s.

Davidson has explored many mediums, such as clay, and in textiles batik and silkscreen. She treats her fabrics like paintings. Davidson feels that her work comes "from the tensions between knowing and not-knowing."