A pair of wigeons is featured on the 2007 Federal Junior
Duck Stamp. The design, painted by 18 year-old Paul
Willey of Conway, Ark., was chosen by a panel of judges on
April 27 at the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest held at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
The mixed media entry, entitled “An Elegant Pair” was
judged the top entry among the Best-of-State entries from
all 50 states, the District of Columbia and American
Samoa.
Proceeds from Junior Duck Stamp sales are used to support
environmental education efforts and awards for contest
winners. |
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“It is a great joy for me to
acknowledge Paul Willey’s
artistry today,” said David
Verhey, Acting Assistant
Secretary of the Interior.“ Paul’s eye for the natural
world and his skill in putting
their observations to canvas is an inspiration.”
Madelyn Yohn, 18, of Myerstown, Penn., took second
place with an acrylic painting depicting a pair of northern
pintail ducks called “Dabbling in the Marsh.”
Third place went to Paige Brevick, 16, of Chatfield,
Minn. for her rendition of a fulvous whistling duck done in
acrylic.
The Junior Duck Stamp Contest winner receives a free
trip, along with their art teacher, a parent, and the state
coordinator, to be honored
during the First Day of Sale
Ceremony. The first-place
winner receives a $5,000
award. The second place
winner receives $3,000 and
the third-place winner
receives $2,000.
Paul Willey, has entered
the Junior Duck Stamp
Competition since he was
twelve. That first year, he
won first place in his age
division in the Arkansas state competition and has
entered every year since, winning the Arkansas Best of
Show four times. The Junior Duck Stamp Program has
been instrumental in broadening his knowledge of conservation
and his artistic repertoire. His teacher, Suzanne
Kunkel, introduced him to the contest in sixth grade and
has encouraged him annually on his quest for a national
win.
Willey enjoys experimenting with all forms of art but he
says his favorite is realism. “I want to capture a moment
in time found in nature, and if I can accurately portray that
moment, that feeling, as authentic and as beautiful as it is
in real life then I feel I have succeeded,” he said.
You can learn more at the artist’s web site:www.secondnaturegallery.com |
