2012 Federal Junior Duck Stamp
by Christine Clayton

In 2012 Christine was honored to win the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest. It was a huge accomplishment for her, as she had been entering the contest for almost ten years. Finally everything came together and she took the national title.
Limited Edition Prints and remarques are available.

Image on 2012-2013 Federal Junior Duck Stamp

What is a Federal Junior Duck Stamp?
       
The Junior Duck Stamp (JDS) is a pictorial stamp produced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to recognize the conservation efforts of young people and support environmental and conservation education programs in the United States. The stamp design is selected from a national art contest administered by the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program. The first place national winner of the art contest graces that year's JDS and is sold by the U.S. Postal Service and Amplex Corporation for $5. All proceeds of the stamp are used to fund environmental education programs, award the students for their work, and market the JDS  program. Also, learn about the adult version of the contest and Federal Duck Stamp Program as a whole here: http://www.fws.gov/duckstamps/

Artist signed stamps are available for $15

Christine signing stamps and other memorabilia with Federal Duck Stamp winner Joseph Hautman at a Bass Pro Shop for the first day of sale ceremony for the Federal Duck Stamps in Hampton, Virginia. Click on the photo to see a VIDEO of this event.

Video Interview of Christine after her win: https://vimeo.com/43249714

The 2012-2013 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Story
 
    Friday April 20, 2012 is a day that will not be forgotten anytime too soon in the home of artist Christine Clayton. Christine’s entry for the Federal Junior Duck Stamp was chosen from a field of over 27,000 entries as the best in the nation. This year the national contest sponsored by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service was held at the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Maryland. Clayton was competing among 53 “Best of Show” finalists from all fifty states, The District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Her win came after ten years of submitting entries in the program’s annual contest. Ohio artists have won the contest three times in the last four years making this state the one to be reckoned with in terms of duck stamp art. This year is unique in that it is the 20th anniversary of the Junior Duck Stamp program, also it is the first year that a flying duck will be featured on the stamp.

    Though a long time in coming, Christine felt confident about her chances for this year’s contest after a near miss in the previous year. “Last year I won the “Best of Show” for Ohio, and the entry eventually placed third in the finals. At that point, I knew I had a chance to get my art on a stamp if I worked hard enough” she said.

    Her decision to step things up a notch this year paid off as her detailed rendition of a Northern Pintail drake in flight won out over the rest of the field.  “In January, at the recommendation of good friend and Wildlife Artist Adam Grimm, I chose to paint a flying pintail, which was more difficult than anything I had attempted in previous years, but felt if I did my best it might give me the edge I needed to win. Two months
and nearly 150 hours later my painting was finished. On March 16th 2012 my entry was in a tie for Ohio’s “Best of Show” with a canvasback duck painted by my younger sister Sarah Clayton. In an extra round of judging I outscored her by a mere three points. My painting, titled, “On Restless Wings” then proceeded to the national contest.” 

Friday April 20th the day of the final contest for the duck stamp found the Claytons and several other family members huddled around the computer screen to watch the contest that was being broadcast live stream over the USFWS website. Excitement was in the air as the announcer laid out the procedure that would determine the overall winner whose art would ultimately be featured on the 2012-2013 duck stamp. An unexpected measure of tension was added when the live stream broadcast suddenly went offline, not once, but several times. There was a long pause with no signal, and when it seemed as though they would completely miss the broadcast, it
mysteriously came back online; and not a moment too soon as the next thing onscreen was the five final paintings ready for the last round of judging. The judges voted, and the scores were tallied in a location outside the room where the contest took place. You could have heard a pin drop as the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dan Ashe, approached the podium to announce the outcome. First came the third and second place winners and then finally the news Christine and all her supporters wanted to hear: “And now, first place, from Ohio….Christine Clayton!” Tears of joy were in no short supply as family members offered congratulations and hugs to the new champ. 
  
    “It’s been a long journey, but the time and effort invested was worth it,” noted Clayton after contest. “I’ve met a lot of wonderful people along the way, and I have so much to be thankful for. I’m thankful to my parents and my little sister and artist buddy Sarah; we all share in this victory” she said. She also acknowledged the advice and instruction from her mentor, Adam Grimm, wildlife artist and Ohio native now residing in South Dakota. “Adam Grimm is one of the best wildlife artists in the world, and I can never thank him enough for all of the time and patience he provided encouraging me to push on and not settle for anything less than my very best effort. He helped me to polish my God-given skills and was very honest in his critique of
my work. His character is reflected in the quality of my paintings, as well as his own”.

   As for the future, Clayton plans to continue painting. She has tentative plans to enter the senior duck stamp contest slated for this fall if time allows. 

Junior Duck Stamp Entries 2003-2012

© Clayton Wildlife Art 2015