Artist Bio

Lisa Shimko enjoyed her childhood in York County, Pennsylvania collecting rocks and exploring the rolling hills of forests and farms. Colors, forms, and textures from nature and the simple designs of Pennsylvania German folk art infused the foundation of her artistic aesthetic.

In 1994, Lisa earned a BFA in Painting with a minor in Art Therapy from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Since 2000 Lisa has called South Carolina home, from the Lowcountry of Hilton Head Island and Charleston to the foothills of Greenville.

Water Halo Dreams Artist Statement

The “Water Halo” series theme began in Charleston a decade ago inspired by the beauty of the Lowcountry.
These paintings are not meant to be a direct realistic illustration of Lowcountry landscapes, but abstracted portals conveying emotional experiences with the meandering waterways, expounding upon the epiphanies of the senses in the aquatic world, an attempt of a snapshot encompassing more than a surface visual.

Since moving to the upstate of South Carolina, though I still visit the Lowcountry often, the current Water Halo paintings feel like dreams; meditations of a coastal home I miss. Painting the memories of light and sensations of swimming in a brackish river spot tucked away in a marsh creates a happy place and solace in my studio until I visit again.