A painting by Cynthie Fisher of Hamilton, Montana has been chosen as the winner of the 2024 California Duck Stamp Art Contest. The painting, which depicts mallard ducks, will be the official design for the 2024-2025 stamp.

The judges first noticed the position and orientation of the mallards in the painting, commenting on the movement of the ducks in flight and describing it as very much an action shot. The amount of detail and anatomical accuracy in addition to the movement of the birds almost made the image photorealistic, but not so much as to take away the qualities of a painting. The judges also appreciated that Fisher included a group of mallards instead of only one or two, with a male and female in front, prominent against the background. This background impressed the judges as well – they quickly identified it as the Sutter Buttes, a small mountain range in Northern California, but noted it was subtle enough that it didn’t detract from the mallards in the foreground. It was a scene California mallard hunters dream of, and that is something Fisher knows well.

“I learned to love waterfowl during my years in college at Cal Poly Humboldt,” said Fisher. “I spent all my time studying ducks and other birds, doing taxidermy, and went on the first of many duck hunts after that.”

She won her first duck stamp contest in 1988 and has painted 17 other state waterfowl stamps since then, focusing on states that have meaning for her. She visited the Central Valley several times, studying waterfowl, and decided to showcase the Sutter Buttes in her entry. She chose to depict the mallards in flight to show off all their colors.

“The Sutter Buttes are a well-known landmark for duck enthusiasts, and mallards are ubiquitous in the valley, always a favorite,” she said.

Artists from around the country submitted entries for the contest, sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Green, Indiana, placed second, Broderick Crawford of Tiger, Georgia, placed third and Ray Easton of Webster, New York received honorable mention.

The top four paintings were displayed recently at the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association’s Annual Classic Wildlife Art Festival in Sacramento.

Since 1971, the California Duck Stamp Program’s annual contest has attracted top wildlife artists from around the country. The contest is open to artists from all 50 states in order to ensure a wide pool of submissions. All proceeds generated from stamp sales go directly to waterfowl conservation projects within California.

In the past, hunters were required to purchase and affix the stamp to their hunting licenses. Today, hunters are no longer required to carry the stamps because California’s modern licensing system prints proof of additional fees paid directly onto the license. However, CDFW still produces the stamps, which can be requested on CDFW’s website at wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/collector-stamps.