Hand-made Illustration & Fine Art.
Liza Dzines (Liza Besso) is a San Francisco–born artist whose work moves between urban landscapes, the beauty of natural environments, and equestrian subjects. A life long equestrian and draftsman, she began drawing horses obsessively as a child, studying their movement and form long before formal training.
She received atelier-based training at Ashland Academy of Art under Semyon Bilmes, whose background bridges drawing tradition.
Her education focused on observational discipline, compositional structure, and the psychology of visual perception—how light in the visible spectrum shapes the way we interpret space, form, and atmosphere.
This foundation continues to inform her multidisciplinary practice across watercolor, acrylic, ink, and digital media, developing paintings when possible, from life within contemporary realism.
Liza works as a fine and urban artist and hand-drawn illustrator, drawing directly from life in public spaces while developing work for galleries and commissioned portraits.
Her practice also extends into illustration for handcrafted brands and editorial work. Working across watercolor, acrylic, ink, and digital media, her work balances structural clarity with expressive looseness.
She maintains an independent studio practice in Berkeley and works with collectors in the Bay Area as well as nationally and internationally.
I create art to bridge the space between the everyday and the extraordinary—drawing out emotion, memory, and connection from fleeting moments of light, gesture, and form. I believe beauty and meaning exist everywhere: in a horse’s shifting muscles, a street saxophonist’s silhouette, a cocktail kissed by neon, or the face of a pet.
My work is driven by contrast—between structure and vitality, discipline and instinct. Whether I am painting an urban landscape or exploring subjects connected to ranch life, I investigate how light reveals form and how gesture carries energy within a controlled framework.
My practice blends classical training with a streetwise edge. I began as a studio illustrator and fine artist, trained in expressive realism and art history. Over time, my work has evolved into a fusion of stylized and painterly approaches across watercolor, acrylic, ink, and digital media.
I am interested in how perception shapes experience—how reflected color, shifting value, and compositional tension create narrative within a representational framework.
I continually refine my craft by working through the core elements of painting—value, color temperature, and composition—bringing them together intentionally. This process reinforces the contrasts that shape my work, where structure and movement depend on one another for balance.
I often focus on overlooked elements—the curve of a building, the shine on a cherry, the joy in a dog’s eyes—creating intimate encounters with moments viewers might otherwise pass by. Accessible beauty matters to me; I create work that invites people into art.
Liza Dzines (Liza Besso) Berkeley, California Fine Artist | Urban Painter | Illustrator
Education Ashland Academy of Art — Ashland, Oregon Atelier-based studio art training in commercial illustration and classical observational drawing under Semyon Bilmes (Parsons School of Design; Russian academic drawing tradition).
Study emphasized draftsmanship, compositional structure, and color perception within representational painting and illustration.
This foundation continues to inform her multidisciplinary practice across watercolor, acrylic, ink, and digital media.
Professional Practice Independent Studio Practice — Berkeley, California (2023–Present) Painting and drawing practice exploring urban environments, equestrian subjects, still life, and observational studies drawn from life in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ongoing work across watercolor, acrylic, ink, and digital media exploring urban environments, equestrian subjects, and observational drawing from life.
Private Portrait Commissions — National & International Clients (2023–Present) Custom pet portraits and portrait illustration for collectors across the United States and internationally.
Commissioned portrait and illustration work in both traditional and digital media.
Original Works & Commissions via Etsy (Liza Dzines) 2024–Present Private Pet Portrait Commissions — Custom watercolor and acrylic portraiture for private collectors.
2023–Present Custom Portrait & Illustration Work — Bay Area clients; traditional and digital media.
2023–Present Exhibitions / Public Work Independent Studio Practice — Berkeley, CA Live Portrait Drawing / Public Drawing Practice Bay Area pop-up and street-based portrait work.
Projects Inktober Drawing Series — LinkedIn Ongoing drawing series exploring observational drawing and narrative illustration.
Mediums
Painting: Oil, Acrylic, and Watercolor
Drawing: Ink and Traditional Media
Digital: Digital Illustration and Procreate