Shimko Art

Being drawn to water is how I came to live in the Low Country. There are numerous species of animals and plants that are also drawn to South Carolina waterways; salt marshes, sandy beaches, hardwood swamps and black water rivers.

 

Two threatened species, the piping plover and red knot are examples of the many birds that spend the winter on the coast.  Besides wintering here birds, as well as insects, fish, mammals, etc. breed here, stop here on their migration route or live here year round. According to the Department of Natural Resources, in Charleston County, there are approximately 16 bird, 5 amphibian, 7 reptile and 10 mammal and 68 plant species listed as rare, threatened or endangered. Its a delicate balance in the ecosystem, affecting us near and far, all interconnected, micro to macro.

 

Aside from the inherent aesthetic allure of creating paintings with some of the creatures surrounding us, also wanted to display them as a subtle reminder that we are responsible for the decline in their populations, but we can also be responsible for the conservation and rebuilding of the habitats and thus the populations of the flora and fauna that live here with us.