Five judges from the Waterfowl Stamp Art Committee carefully analyzed 20 entries on display at the Denver Country Club on Dec. 9.
The committee selected Guy Crittenden’s original art entitled Colorado marsh mallards as the 2016 Waterfowl stamp. Crittenden’s piece not only earns the grand cash prize of $3,500 but also will be represented on a stamp for both hunters and collectors in 2016.
The rendition features a pair of mallards flying above a wetland with the beautiful Colorado Rockies in the background. In addition to artistic ability, committee members closely examined the topography of each piece to ensure accurate representation of both the mallard’s physical characteristics and appropriate habitat. The committee also considered the aesthetic appeal of the image once printed on a small-scale stamp.
Artists Richard Clifton and Scott Storm were runners up in the contest. You can view the paintings, read the biography of winning artist Guy Crittenden, and check out past stamp winners at cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/WaterfowlStampWinners.aspx.
Waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and older are required by state law to purchase a state and federal waterfowl stamp, in addition to a small-game license, annually before hunting.
The Colorado Waterfowl Stamp program was implemented in 1990 and provides funding to conserve wetlands for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife.
The 2016 Colorado Waterfowl Stamp is usually available for purchase by April 1, 2016.
