“I imagined it to be about 18 feet long, like a slow-moving freight train.” Describing this behemoth hammerhead painted from her mind’s eye, Suzie Seerey-Lester would certainly know. After all, the scuba diving class she once took as part of a high school career fair led to her becoming the first woman licensed as a diving instructor trainer in the U.S., one who was eventually hired by the CIA, FBI, Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies to train their personnel. Suffice it to say, she is deeply experienced in and on the water.

Working for a national diving organization, Suzie relocated from Washington, D.C., to San Diego, where she enrolled in her first art class. “I had already been painting but didn’t really know what I was doing,” she tells WorthWhile. As she continued with more workshops, three things blossomed: her skills with a brush, passion for wildlife and love for a fellow artist who eventually became her husband, John Seerey-Lester.

Suzie had seen John’s paintings in magazines and signed up for some of his workshops, one of which took place in Guatemala. One early morning, John took four students, including Suzie, over 200 feet up a large tree so they could observe sunrise above the jungle canopy. “We saw temples rise from the mist, parrots and toucans … it was just magical,” she says.

In January 2000, Suzie and John were married. And until John lost his battle to cancer in 2020, they shared countless adventures and donated many paintings to raise money for conservation.

Suzie’s evolving career has taken her all over the planet and introduced her to many of its extraordinary creatures. Case in point, the species of shark she refers to as highly mysterious and commonly nonmigratory. “They tend to stay in a general area,” she says. “There’s a large one that roams not too far from where I live. The local fishermen often spot him stalking their catch.

For “Cruising the Shallows,” the painter wanted to show the power and beauty of hammerheads in realistic fashion. The artist used cool blues, greens and grays to create the appearance of crystal clear water. Once dried, she mixed colors into a glaze called Liquin for the final layer. “It gives it a transparent hue as if you’re looking right through the water,” she says.

Not one to stop evolving, Suzie is now a licensed turtle monitor. Each day she leaves her studio to stroll along the beach, helping ensure these smaller creatures are nesting and taking their first steps safely. To learn more and view additional work, visit seerey-lester.com.