The AFC Conservation Artist Award is awarded monthly to honour a member for outstanding artistic talent and extraordinary contribution to the conservation cause. At the end of each year, a prior recipient of the monthly honour is selected for the annual Simon Combes Conservation Award.

The Simon Combes Conservation Award was created by the AFC in February 2005 to honour Combes' memory. Combes, world-renowned painter, author, instructor and dedicated conservationist, was tragically killed by a charging Cape Buffalo while hiking near his home in Kenya on December 12, 2004.  At the time, Combes was the Director of the Kenya chapter of the Rhino Rescue Trust (www.rhinorescue.org), an organization founded in 1985 to protect endangered species from poachers and to help the communities surrounding Lake Nakuru National Park affected by wildlife conflicts.   As this is the first year for the award, the first recipient has yet to be selected.

Sharon Schafer says it best in her description of her studio "Skydance Studio is dedicated to the creation of fine art images that promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of the beauty and diversity of nature.
In doing so, we strive to encourage a commitment to value, protect, and conserve the natural world.  The studio specializes in beautifully artistic yet scientifically accurate images that appeal to the art collector and the environmental educator alike. Our creations reflect an in-depth knowledge of the natural world, an obsessive attention to detail, and a passion for educating and inspiring through art."

Throughout the world, Schafer shares her artistic talent and passion for the the wildlands by teaching art and nature-related classes and lecturing extensively, and tirelessly, about the stunning beauty and amazing diversity of life on our planet. 

She earned her degree in Wildlife Management at Humboldt State University, in northern California. Subsequently, she worked as a field wildlife biologist for the Soil Conservation Service, Pacific Gas and Electric, and the Bureau of Land Management.

In an effort to combine her interest in art and science, Schafer founded Skydance Studio in 1998. With her studio, she has dedicated herself to the creation of images that promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of the beauty and diversity of the natural world.

Using her skills as both an artist and biologist, she has developed natural-resource-related educational exhibits and images for many organizations including the U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.

Her sense of adventure and unflagging curiosity about the natural world has led her to every continent and to the very ends of the earth, where she has worked extensively as an artist, photographer, and videographer in the Arctic, Antarctic, and the Sub-Antarctic Islands "Conservation recognizes the fact that our true family includes all life on the earth and that we are not separate insular species but rather share this planet with other species each deserving of our care, concern, and respect."

Sharon has chosen to donate 5% of all artwork sales to conservation causes in celebration of all things wild.

Sharon has a varied background ranging from painter and photographer, to wildlife biologist and river guide. Now as a full-time artist, she combines two loves - nature and art. Her excellence as a wildlife painter has been recognized by both the international Society of Animal Artists and Artists for Conservation by selection into their annual members shows. Her wildlife paintings are sought after by collectors and displayed in museums across the country.

View more previous winners:

• 2009 Conservation Artist Award Winners
• 2008 Conservation Artist Award Winners
• 2007 Conservation Artist Award Winners
• 2006 Conservation Artist Award Winners
• 2005 Conservation Artist Award Winners
• 2004 Conservation Artist Award Winners