Artists possess the creative power to portray a simple bird —
say a male mallard duck — in a multitude of ways, something I never
really appreciated until I reviewed hundreds of duck portraits in
the Federal
Duck Stamp Contest.
The acrylic painting of mallard
ducks by Bob Hautman of Delano, Minn., took first place in the
Federal Duck Stamp Contest. // Photo:
USFWS
Judges in the annual contest seem to prefer a super-realistic
style. Each year, the winning entry is used to create a federal
duck stamp, which are the stamps that waterfowl hunters must carry
while hunting. They are also purchased by many people who care
about conservation.
Details in the duck portraits are important, but it is also
interesting to observe the landscapes that the artists place in the
backgrounds and foregrounds of their pictures. Take a look at the
Flickr
page where 215 entries are shown in the latest contest
sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Eligible species
for this year’s contest were the mallard, gadwall, cinnamon teal,
blue-winged teal and harlequin duck.
Canada geese are the centerpiece of this year’s federal “duck
stamp,” which went on sale Friday to raise millions of dollars to
conserve wildlife habitat.
James Hautman of Chaska, Minn.,
won first place in the annual duck stamp contest with his acrylic
painting of Canada geese. Images courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service
James Hautman of Chaska, Minn., painted the artwork that became
this year’s stamp following a contest last fall that attracted 152
entries. The stamp shows three Canada geese flying in formation
over a wheat field.
This year’s winning entry is Hautman’s fifth win in the duck
stamp competition. Only two other artists have won first place five
times — and one of those is Hautman’s brother Joseph.
Since 1934, sales of the stamp — formally called the Federal
Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp — have reached $950
million, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is
in charge of the stamp. The money has been used to conserve nearly
6 million acres of wetland habitat as part of the national wildlife
refuge system around the country. Some 98 percent of the funds from
sales of the $25 duck stamp go into the Migratory Bird Conservation
fund.
If you have time, check out all of the duck stamps starting with
some interesting ones you will find in the 1930s and ’40s in the
Federal Duck Stamp Gallery.
“The stamp’s impact goes beyond waterfowl,” said Secretary of
Interior Ryan Zinke in a
news release. “it also helps provide habitat for hundreds of
species of wildlife and clean water for our communities. The lands
set aside using duck stamp dollars provide opportunities for the
American people to enjoy the great outdoors through hunting,
fishing and birdwatching, and help ensure this piece of American
heritage will endure for generations.”
The stamp is legally required for waterfowl hunters age 16 and
older, but the program has grown over the years thanks to stamp
collectors and supporters of wildlife conservation. The current
duck stamp also provides free admission to any national wildlife
refuge.
Rebecca Knight of Appleton
City, Mo., took second place with her acrylic painting of a
brant.
The duck painting that took second place in last fall’s contest
was the creation of Rebekah Knight of Appleton City, Mo., who
previously won the National Junior Duck Stamp Contest. Her entry
last year was an acrylic painting of a single brant.
The third-place winner was Robert Hautman of Delano, Minn., with
his acrylic painting of a pair of Canada geese. Hautman, brother of
James and Joseph, previously won the contest in 1996 and 2000.
Robert Hautman of Delano,
Minn., was the third-place winner with his acrylic painting of
Canada geese.
Judges for this year’s duck stamp were Jan Martin McGuire, an
internationally known wildlife artist; Keith Russell, program
manager for urban conservation with Audubon Pennsylvania; Dr.
Nathan H. Rice, ornithology collection manager at the Academy of
Natural Sciences; John P. Booth, executive director of the Ned
Smith Center for Nature and Art; and Sue deLearie Adair, an artist,
birder and avid naturalist.
A gallery of all the contest entries can be viewed on the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service Flickr
page.
Isaac Schreiber 12, of
Duffield, Va, was named the winner of the Junior Duck Stamp
competition with his acrylic painting of trumpeter
swans.
A Junior Duck Stamp is chosen each year from entries made by
students from across the United States and Puerto Rico. This year’s
winner is Isaac Schreiber, 12, of Duffield, Va., who painted a pair
of trumpeter swans.
Second place went to Daniel Billings, 16, of Gallatin, Mont.,
for his oil painting of a wood duck. Rene Christensen, 17, of
Nekoosa, Wis., took third place with her graphite rendition of a
pair of Canada geese.
The junior contest is part of an educational program about
wetlands, waterfowl and conservation efforts. Proceeds from sales
of the $5 Junior Duck Stamps are used to support youth
education.
A gallery of the “best of show” winners can be seen on the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service Flickr
page.
Both the regular and junior stamps can be purchased at many
national wildlife refuges, sporting goods stores and related
retailers and through the U.S. Postal Service. For information,
check out the
“Buy Duck Stamps” website.
For the past 22 years, students from across the country have
been painting and drawing some amazing pictures of ducks, swans,
geese and related water birds.
The 2014 winner of the Junior
Duck Stamp Contest is 16-year-old Si youn Kim of Tenafly, N.J., who
painted a king elder using acrylics. // Photos:
USFWS
Each year, the best pictures are printed up as Federal Junior
Duck Stamps, which can be purchased from participating post offices
and sporting good stores. With the deadline for the 2015 art
contest approaching, I thought it would be a good time to share
some of these great artworks.
The Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program is
sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The $5 junior duck
stamps are modeled on the $15 Federal Duck Stamps, purchased by
hunters and used by others as a pass for national wildlife
refuges.
Second-place in the 2014
contest went to Andrew Kneeland, 16, of Rock Springs, Wyo., for his
acrylic painting of a trumpeter swan with cygnets.
Proceeds from the junior duck stamps are used for conservation
education, including a national curriculum for students from
kindergarten through 12th grade. The national program involves
elements of science, art, math and technology.
The deadline for the art competition is March 15. At the state
level, students are judged in four groups by grade: K-3, 4-6, 7-9
and 10-12. Numerous awards are given in each group, and one “best
of show” from each state are entered into the national competition
in April. Participants are encouraged to include a conservation
message with their entries.
The third-place winner was
Jiahe Qu, 15, of Chandler, Ariz., for an acrylic painting of a
hooded merganser.
