2012 RW79 WOOD DUCK

Description

Wood Duck RW79 Federal Duck Stamp by Joe Hautman

About the Artist

Joe Hautman

Joe Hautman’s first experience as a professional artist came after he won the Federal Duck Stamp contest in 1991. Although he had never sold a painting, he suddenly found himself visiting President George H. Bush in the Oval office, and receiving honors for his artistic achievements.

From an early age Joe loved to draw and paint, but he soon became fascinated by the sciences as well. His artistic talents took a back seat during his academic career. He studied physics and astronomy at the University of Minnesota, and eventually earned a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Michigan. In the midst of an active research career, Joe began to enter the Federal Duck Stamp contest as a way to exercise his artistic skills. His surprise victory provided the incentive he needed to return professionally to his first love. He now paints full-time and finds his art career as challenging and fulfilling as his science research. Joe again won the Federal contest for the 2002 and 2008 duck stamps, and recently became a four-time winner with his rendition of a drake wood duck which will be on the 2012 stamp.

Joe lives Plymouth, Minnesota. His work features a variety of North American animals and, inspired by several trips to India, tigers and other Asian wildlife. The well researched detail and accurate naturalistic settings in his paintings are a reflection of his scientific background, as well as his reverence for the wildlife and their habitat.

The Hautman Brothers

The Hautman Brothers have established themselves as America’s foremost family of wildlife artists. All three brothers have received numerous honors and awards, and have been a dominating presence in many state and national duck stamp competitions. At last count, the three brothers have seen their art featured on over 50 state and federal conservation stamps. Jim, Bob and Joe are the only brothers ever to win the prestigious Federal Duck Stamp Contest. The talents of the Hautman Brothers as well as their unique family gift were mentioned in the motion picture “FARGO.” They have received national accolades on television and National Public Radio, and from newspapers such as USA TODAY, THE WASHINGTON POST, MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE and THE ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, as well as TIME, US NEWS & WORLD REPORT, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, U.S. ART, FUR-FISH-GAME and NORTH AMERICAN HUNTER magazines. The Hautmans’ creations have been displayed in the OVAL OFFICE and the SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTES in Washington D.C.

James Hautman In 1989, at the age of 25, Jim became the youngest artist in history to win the prestigious Federal Duck Stamp Contest. His second, in 1994, not only took first prize but he set a new record by receiving a perfect judges score as well as the distiguished People’s Choice Award. In 1998, Jim captured top honors in the Federal contest, again receiving a perfect judges score. After winning the 2010 Federal contest Jim became only the second artist in competition history to win four times.

Robert Hautman’s achievements are numerous, including winning the 2001 and the 1997 Federal Duck Stamp contests. In 1995, and again in 2010 he finished second only to his younger brother Jim. His designs were selected for the 1995 Minnesota Pheasant Stamp, the 1997, 1992 and 1988 Minnesota Duck Stamps, the 1989 Nevada Duck Stamp, the 2011 Texas Duck Stamp and many other state stamps.

Joe Hautman brought home the Federal Duck Stamp honors in 1991, 2001, 2007 and for the fourth time in 2011. He has also designed state conservation stamps for New Jersey, South Carolina, Connecticut, Texas, Arkansas, and Minnesota. Besides ducks, Joe paints a wide variety of wildlife from songbirds and chipmunks to tigers and grizzly bears. Painting is a second career for Joe who holds a PhD in Physics.

 

——————–THE ART——————–

Wood Duck

The 2012-2013 Federal Duck Stamp design shows a single drake wood duck swimming on the water. Joe Hautman describes his inspiration: “My studio is on a small lake with lots of wood ducks. This provides me with opportunities to study the behavior of the ducks and for taking reference photographs. But wood ducks are wary birds and when I see them up close they are usually swimming away, often looking back over their shoulder as if assessing whether I am significant enough to worry about. It was this alert but self-assured attitude that I hoped to capture in the painting. The simple composition is a contrast to the elaborate pattern and color in the bird itself. I sometimes think the best I can do when painting a wood duck is just to try not to get in the way of the beauty that nature created.”

——————–THE STAMP————–

First day of issue July 9, 2012