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Zz Stamp 2000 - 2001 Federal Duck Stamp Print - Mottled Duck By Adam Grimm

The 2000 - 2001 Federal Duck Stamp depicts a single mottled duck from behind, stretching it's wings in a sun-dappled pond. Grimm, whose hometown is Elyria, Ohio, said that he often spends time in the marsh observing ducks and other waterfowl. On November 4, 1999, Adam Grimm fulfilled his lifelong dream, a dream shared by almost every professional wildlife artist. On this unforgettable day, Adam was named the winner of the Federal Duck Stamp Competition. More impressively, Adam achieved this ultimate recognition at just twenty-one years of age, making him the youngest person ever to win this prestigious honor in America’s only federally sponsored art competition. The winning entry, featuring a drake mottled duck flapping his wings on the water, appeared on the 2000-2001 Millennium Federal Duck Stamp "I have always been impressed by their movements," he said, "and I've always been interested in strong lighting." Grimm also noted that he benefited from attending a Duck Stamp artists workshop sponsored by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The mottled duck is a non-migrant resident of the Gulf Coast of Mexico north of Tampico, and Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina. It frequents lakes, marshes and ponds of fresh to brackish water. Primary foods include small seeds, aquatic vegetation and some invertebrates. The mottled duck is a close relative of both the mallard and the black duck, and also embraces the bird once known as the Florida duck. Twenty-one year old Adam Grimm, has bested 242 other artists to become the youngest artist to win the intensely competitive Federal Duck Stamp Art Competition. Adam's inspiration for the 2000-2001 Federal Millennium design came from watching a hen mottled duck flapping her wings. He realized it was the strong light and dramatic action that made this bird as beautiful as any colorful drake. He began working on sketches and soon came up with the design. When Adam turned eighteen he started entering the Federal Duck Stamp competition. His first entry achieved sixteenth place. His second attempt placed eighth. He won on his third try. Due to his rapidly growing reputation, Adam has recently been awarded the Millenium 2000 Alaska Duck Stamp design This painting completely changed my life. After seeing so many Federal Duck Stamps that looked alike, I had decided that I wanted to do something that if I won, would stand out. I was inspired to do this painting while watching a hen blue-winged teal on a South Dakota slough. I was struck by the beauty of this brown little duck. Normally, the more colorful drakes get all the attention but when this hen teal raised up to flap her wings after bathing and the sunlight was drenched across it, she was in all her glory. It was then that I realized that the beauty had more to do with beautiful light draped across an interesting form then the bird itself. It didn’t take me long to realize that the pose and light would work well for the mottled duck (one of the eligible species for the Federal Duck Stamp competition that year). After all, it is also a mostly brown duck. I started working on sketches right away. I really liked the finished painting but I knew how many good artists there were that enter. So I packed it up said a prayer and sent it off. Finding out that I won was an indescribable moment. My career dream had just come true but it seemed more like a dream then ever. 2000-2001 Federal Duck Stamp Print - Mottled Duck by Adam Grimm

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