Article DetailsVeteran Duck Stamp Artist Wins California Duck Stamp Competition |
| Date Added: June 19, 2009 08:38:04 PM |
| Author: |
| Category: News |
| An Indiana artist has won the 2009 California Duck Stamp Contest, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced. Jeffrey Klinefelter’s painting of a pair of northern shovelers was selected by a panel of wildlife experts at an open judging event held at the California Museum in Sacramento on May 27. Klinefelter’s winning design will appear on the 2009-10 California duck stamp, which will be available to the public in August. The winning painting depicts a pair of shovelers wading in a pond against the backdrop of a golden sky. According to the judges, the vibrant colors in the background gave it an edge over the other contenders. It beat the second place winner by only one point. Klinefelter, who resides in Etna Green, Ind., has previously won 20 state duck stamp competitions in other states. This will be the first time his work has been featured on a California duck stamp. Klinefelter was not present at the judging but was notified of his win by telephone shortly after the judges’ decision. This event, which drew 18 entries from 10 states, marked the first time in nearly 15 years that the state’s duck stamp image was selected through a contest. Since 1995 the California duck stamp art has been commissioned or awarded through a contract. A duck stamp is required for hunting waterfowl in California. The money generated from stamp sales can only be spent on waterfowl-related conservation projects. Since it began in 1971, the California duck stamp program has raised more than $22 million. It is also the first, and oldest, state duck stamp program in the country. DFG sells about 70,000 duck stamps annually, which includes sales to collectors who value them for their artist depiction of native ducks and geese. In addition to duck stamps, DFG typically issues signed limited edition prints that are valued by art collectors. This year’s contest rules required that the species depicted be a northern shoveler, the waterfowl species chosen by the Fish and Game Commission for the 2009-10 duck stamp. Entries were judged for originality, artistic composition, anatomical accuracy and suitability for reproduction as a stamp and print. The top four entries will be on display in July at the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association’s art show in Sacramento. All of the contest entries can be viewed on the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/about/duckstamp. |
