Having grown up in North Dakota, the green-winged teal duck has become somewhat of an obsession of mine. They are native to my home state, so I had become accustomed to seeing them nesting in the marshes of the badlands. When we moved our family to Colorado, I was delighted to see them visit in the winter.

I couldn’t help but paint this duck after another lucky coincidence. A friend of mine took a candid close-up photo that nearly left me speechless. It was so beautifully composed, so natural and true. It was the obvious choice for my entry into the 2022 Federal Duck Stamp contest.