The backlit section

 This most middle section establishes the feeling of backlighting. Now that the other sections are painted (though I always leave room for tweaking) I am playing with distance, color, and an almost washed out look from the sun.

 

 

 

More background

 

My planned order for painting the sections was left to right. 

Eh. Decided to wait on the most middle one and tackle the right side of the painting next.

I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed and want to work on a more simple section before that middle section. 

 

The one brush method seems to be working well as it is keeping the painting looser. A too tight background will bring the image closer when it should recede.

 

 

 

 

 

  

It's Complicated

 I was stumped.

 

The concept seemed sound. The drawing went well, though it took a long time.

The board was on my easel but I didn't know where to start. My usual top down, background to foreground seemed too daunting with this piece.

 

Ah, simplify. Not the painting, but the approach.

I would break it down in to sections, broken by the towering trees.

 

Here is the start.

 

 

 For this whole section I used one brush, a flat angled brush larger than I usually use. The background has a softer feel which I like.

 

 

 

And the Winner Is.....

 Touching.

 My painting of two leopards has won the

Best Realism Award 

at the National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society 

2026 Best of America Show 

held in Sheridan WY at Ballards Fine Art Gallery September 1 - 26. 

 

 I was very excited to hear the news. In addition to the recognition it was a further surprise to hear the award comes with two generous sponsors.

 

General Pencil has donated a cash award.

www.GeneralPencil.com

Check out their wide array of products. They have how-to books, sketching kits, master soap (which I use every day to clean my oil paint brushes), colored pencils, pencil sharpeners, and of course, a wide selection of premium pencils.

Thank you General Pencil for your cash award.

 

M. Graham donated paints. EIGHTEEN premium oil paints!

 https://mgraham.com/

(Note: I used their titanium white sunflower oil in the winning painting, and in all my paintings.)

Rather than all the usual "suspects," Judy at M. Graham had curated a unique selection for my award. What a thrill to try some new paints, some of which I had never heard of. Azo green, dioxazine purple, and nickel azo yellow. I am also particularly interested to try their cerulean blue and ultramarine blue and compare them to my Rembrandt blues.

Thank you M. Graham for your exciting award. 

 

 

 

 

 

Painting Finished

 

Yellow-Headed Blackbird - Williams Lake

16.5" x 10"

Original Oil by Linda Besse 

 

 

 

Cattails

 

 

Cattails can be used as a handy pointing device. The darkest one is pointing toward the breast of the yellow-headed blackbird. I was careful with its placement. Too close and one could imagine it piercing the bird. Too far away and the pointing would be lost.

 

 

 

A new painting

 During the summer I work on commissions. I find it a good time before I start painting for my winter shows.

 

Here is the start of one.

  Yellow-headed blackbirds are one of the more striking birds we have here in the Pacific Northwest. It is always a treat to see them around our lakes and streams during the nesting season.

 

  This may look like a simple composition. In many ways it is. A loose background, a hint of near-ish cattails and grasses in the lower left, and the foreground grasses and cattails.

  However, it is the placement of each cattail and grass blade which is important. Making this a vertical painting is helping to further the story of the long cattails and also illustrates a common position the yellow-headed blackbird takes when singing.