Dawn at North Santee with Orange 12 X 16"

For those who have not taken the effort to visit the Santee Rivers and delta, this is an area not to miss. One must travel an hour up Highway 17 north through Mt Pleasant traffic, past Sewee, Awendaw and McClellanville before crossing the South Branch, "middle ground", and finally the North Branch of the Santee.  A reliable boat is required and can be deployed at Poleyard landing just past the North Santee bridge. The Inlet is about 8 miles from the landing but is a wonderful trip through which was once the richest property in America making Georgetown County the richest county on the continent in the late 17th and early 18th century. Carolina Gold rice was the worlds finest rice at the time. The seed reportedly was derived from Madagascar and grew well in the wet conditions around the cypress forest land in this temperate climate. Imported West African slaves were well acquainted with rice cultivation in their homelands for centuries. Although the rice is gone, the ruins of rice cultivation with canals, trunks and old rice fields remain. Wildlife abounds and the diversity is remarkable. Duck hunting and fishing are available for those outdoorsmen who have the means.

Both rivers can be accessed via the intracoastal waterway which cuts through both rivers a couple of miles from the ocean as the waterway heads north past South Island ferry into Winyah Bay and the town of Georgetown.

This painting was done looking northeast as the sun rises over the North Santee River just where the intracoastal waterway intersects the river. A tall grove of pines is silhouetted to the left. It is done using oil with touches of overlaid acrylic on stretched canvas and is 12 X 16" weighing 11 oz.