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Like most wildlife artists, Linda was enchanted with animals at an early age. It was vivid childhood memories of her great-uncle and his African hunting stories which gave her an immediate sense of the adventure one experiences when exploring wild animals and places. Linda was drawn to the outdoors through her geology bachelor's degree from Colgate University, followed with a Master of Science degree which enabled her to get into the back country of Alaska, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, and Montana. Linda works from her field sketches, small field paintings and her photographs to create a composition designed to reflect the inherent artistry of nature. Painting exclusively in oil because she likes its luminosity, depth, and intensity of color, Linda uses a mostly wet-on-wet technique to capture the immediacy of the image. She lives in the country surrounded by deer, wild turkey, grouse, quail, coyote, and the occasional moose, bear, and mountain lion. To gather reference for her paintings, Linda has traveled to every U.S. state, 35 countries, and all seven continents. Three extended visits to Africa included a 70 km canoe trip on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. Linda has traversed remote tundra in Labrador researching the caribou migration, been dropped off by float plane to salmon-filled streams to watch grizzly bears in Alaska, paddled 459 miles above the Arctic Circle on the Noatak River, and snorkeled with wild beluga whales in Hudson Bay. EXHIBITIONS and AWARDS: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Featured Artist 2017 C.M. Russell Museum 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021 C.M. Russell Museum Select Quick Finish Artists 2017 Safari Club International Artist of the Year 2018 Safari Club International Foundation 2014 Conservation Artist of the Year Safari Club International, Reno, and Las Vegas, 1999-2020      Honorable Mention - Miniature 2016 Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum 2001-2006, 2008, 2010, 2013-2014, 2016 Birds in Art 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2005-2007, 2010-2012 National Tour Oil Painters of America National Exhibit, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2021      Animal Award of Excellence 2021 Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibit, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016 -2019      Animal Award of Excellence 2018 Oil Painters of America Salon Show 2019, Honorable Mention American Academy of Equine Artists 2020 Jean Bowman Award Winner National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society Spring International Online Exhibit 2020      Best in Show 2020 NOAPS Best of America 2020, 2021 NOAPS Best Small Works 2021 NOAPS Associate Member Online Showcase 2021 NOAPS Fall International Online Showcase 2020 The Artist Magazine Annual Competition, 3rd Place, Wildlife/Animal, 2016 The Artist Magazine Annual Competition, Honorable Mention, Wildlife/Animal 2017, 2018 Art Renewal Center Salon Finalist, 2016 - 2017, 2020 Richeson 75 Animals, Birds & Wildlife 2nd place 2019, Finalist 2016 - 2017, 2020 Richeson Small Works Finalist 2021 Paint the Parks, Coutts Museum, El Dorado, KS, Full size award winner 2015 Endangered Species - Flora and Fauna, Dept of the Interior, Washington, DC, 2008-2009 NatureWorks, Tulsa, OK, 2002-2020:      Featured Artist 2019, Encore Artist 2020      Best in Show - 2D, Natureworks 2014      Award of Excellence, Natureworks, 2009, 2019, 2020      Best In Show, Natureworks 2007      Best In Show - Miniature, Natureworks 2005 Mountain Oyster Club 2011 - 2017, 2019 Alberta (Canada) Conservation Stamp 2005 Society of Animal Artists 44th, 46th, 48th - 52nd Annual Exhibition + Annual Tour 2004-2006, 2009-2010, 2012-2013      Art That Matters to the Planet Exhibition, 2021-2022      Ethology Award 2010, 50th SAA Annual Exhibition David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation shortlist for Wildlife Artist of the Year 2011 International Guild of Realism Annual Exhibition 2011 - 2015, 2018, 2020      Best Wildlife Award 2020 International Guild of Realism Masterworks Museum Tour 2015- 2016 International Guild of Realism Winter Salon 2017 International Guild of Realism Spring Salon 2021 Nancy McLaughlin Award, Spokane Valley Arts Council, 2014 Signature Member of Oil Painters of America Signature Member of the Society of Animal Artists Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists   More photos of Linda's encounters with Nature's amazing creatures:   Feel free to contact Linda. Unless she is out on some new adventure, she will be happy to respond to you promptly. LINDA BESSE (509) 238-9129 e-mail: Linda@BesseArt.com Linda is a Signature Member of the Society of Animal Artists, a Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists, a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America, and a member of the International Guild of Realism.

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