Like most wildlife artists, Linda was enchanted with animals at an early age. However, vivid childhood memories of her great uncle and his African hunting stories 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 does not have any formal art training. She 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 and mountain lion.   Iceland   To gather reference for her paintings, Linda has traveled to every U.S. state, 31 countries, and all seven continents. Three extended visits to Africa also included a 70 km canoe trip on the Zambezi river in Zimbabwe. She 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, and snorkeled with wild beluga whales in Hudson Bay.   Linda visited her 27th country, New Zealand in 2005, then Kenya and Tanzania in 2007. In November and December 2008, Linda added her 7th continent, Antarctica. Her galleries, exhibits, and shows have included: Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum 2001-2006, 2008, 2010 Birds in Art National Tour 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2005-2007, 2010-2012 Art and the Animal VIII, IX, + XIV, Bennington Center for the Arts, VT Endangered Species - Flora and Fauna, Dept of the Interior, Washington, DC, 2008-2009 American Woman Artists National Show, 2009 NatureWorks, Tulsa, OK, 2002-2010; Award of Excellence, Natureworks, 2009 Best In Show, Natureworks 2007 Best In Show- Miniature , Natureworks 2005 Safari Club International, Reno, and Las Vegas, 1999-2010 Waterfowl Festival, Easton, Maryland, 2003-2010 Society of Animal Artists 44th, 46th, 48th - 50th Annual Exhibition + Annual Tour 2004-2006, 2009-2010 Ethology Award 2010 Oil Painters of America National Exhibit, 2009, 2010 Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibit, 2009 Alberta Conservation Stamp 2005   Antarctica Original Oil Paintings by Linda Besse Feel free to contact Linda. Unless she is out on some new adventure, she will be happy to respond to you promptly. LINDA BESSE 15908 E. Cooper Rd. Mead, WA 99021 (509) 238-9129 e-mail: Linda@BesseArt.com BesseArt.com Linda is a Signature Member of the Society of Animal Artists. Linda is also a member of Oil Painters of America and the International Guild of Realism.