Jimmy Lee Sudduth Folk Art Landscape Painting of Tractor and Barn

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This striking, original painting on plywood is a quintessential example of Southern Art by the celebrated American folk artist Jimmy … Read more This striking, original painting on plywood is a quintessential example of Southern Art by the celebrated American folk artist Jimmy Lee Sudduth (1910–2007). Known for his expressive use of found materials, house paint, and mud on wood panels, Sudduth captures the raw, energetic spirit of rural American life in this vibrant scene. The piece features a classic farm landscape, showcasing a figure driving a colorful tractor pulling a harvest wagon in front of a large barn. The bold color palette relies on an electric contrast between a deep black background, a vibrant teal/turquoise pasture and roof, and a warm wine colored/brown barn. The artist’s highly recognizable script signature, "Jim Sudduth," is inscribed in the upper-left quadrant against the dark sky.

Sudduth was famous for his material inventiveness, often using his fingers as brushes and sourcing "paint" from his immediate environment. He frequently used "Sweet Mud", a mixture of local dirt and a binder like sugar, molasses, or soft drinks (such as Coca-Cola) to create a thick, adherent medium.

For color, he incorporated natural substances like pokeberries for red, grass for green, and coal soot or charcoal for black. He typically painted on found industrial materials like plywood, board, or scrap lumber. His work is celebrated for its spontaneous exuberance and is held in major institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the High Museum of Art.

The painting on plywood measures 24 inches by 24 inches framed to a dimension of 26 and 1/4 inches by 26 and 1/4 inches. The plywood is intact, straight and without repairs. The painting is in good folk art condition exhibiting scattered rubs, nicks and surface abrasions characteristic of Sudduth's art and consistent with folk art materials." It is framed in a light weight contemporary black distressed rustic wooden frame that beautifully complements the raw, organic aesthetic of the painting. Please view all photos that support condition details.

I own several Sudduth paintings and this is the only one where he didn't use sweet mud. Jimmy Lee Sudduth gradually transitioned away from using his signature "sweet mud" in the 1980s and 1990s. As collectors raised concerns about the mud crumbling or attracting insects, dealers advised him to use permanent mediums. By the 1990s, he shifted almost exclusively to commercial acrylics and house paints. Sudduth's art is highly collected with consistent auction growth. This would make an excellent addition to an emerging collection. See less