In celebration of 40-years writing for Leisure Painter, artist and explorer David Bellamy selected the following artists as winners in our atmospheric landscape painting competition saying, 'It is good to see so many entries for this competition, especially with such a high overall standard. I am a reluctant judge, as I hate disappointing artists who have put so much into their work, but I would say to those who have not succeeded this time, to persevere and your day will come.'

The winning entries

The Sentinel, watercolour by Stephen Kelly which David says, 'displays superb texture on the foreground rock and excellent treatment of the wet flipper, and I particularly like the inquisitive look on the seal's face, all with plenty of background mood.'

Light Sea, oil by Marieke Ackerman. David felt this seascape entry showed, 'a deliciously moody sky and a sea enlivened with energetic brushstrokes, and well composed.'

Gently Cascading, pastel by Alexandra Lavizzari. David commented, 'Alexandra's treatment of the mossy boulders shows fine observation and I love the patches of warm colour and sense of recession'.

Congratulations to all three winners who each receive a set of David's books from Search Press.

Highly commended by David

David says that many others came close to winning, but he highlighted three more paintings. with the following comments:

'I loved Devil's Bridge, Kirkby Lonsdale by Lorraine Willis. Her excellent draughtsmanship and sense of sunlight is impressive, but I would have appreciated a little more mood and not quite so much rock detail'.

'Andrea Snuggs's Pors Theolen in Brittany is a pleasing work which I suspect she has kept low-key with flat lighting because of mist. However, even on these dull days you can still bring out one or two highlights to accentuate a focal point and that's often all it needs'.

'Wild Land by Catherine Corfield features two children on a flat rock in midstream, a lovely narrative that makes the viewer ponder over what they are doing. The water treatment is excellent with its submerged stones in the foreground, and I liked the grass effects, beautifully painted'.

'There were many others that deserve a mention, but I have to stop somewhere!'

Look out for a feature on painting vignettes by David in a forthcoming issue of Leisure Painter.