BOWLING GREEN ARTIST WINS OHIO WETLANDS STAMP COMPETITION

BOWLING GREEN ARTIST WINS OHIO WETLANDS STAMP COMPETITION

COLUMBUS, OH - The artwork of a Northern pintail by Bowling Green, Ohio native Gregory Clair won first place at this year's Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp design competition, sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Clair’s painting will appear on the Ohio wetlands stamp for the fall of 2006.

The winning entry was selected from a field of 28 original paintings submitted by artists in 14 states, including 11 entries from Ohio. The competition was held Saturday, February 26 at the annual Ducks Unlimited convention in Wilmington.

“I hope that my love of the outdoors is represented in my painting,” Clair said.

This was Clair’s second win in Ohio in a conservation stamp competition. In 1991, he was the Ohio winner with his painting of a greater scaup. He also placed fourth in the federal duck stamp competition in 2004. Clair was the 2005 artist of the year for Ohio Ducks Unlimited.

More than 35,000 wetland stamps are purchased every year, according to the Division of Wildlife. Proceeds from stamp sales help fund vital wetland habitat restoration projects in Ohio. Such habitats are important to many resident wildlife species, including trumpeter swans, wetland birds, amphibians, and numerous migratory species such as ducks and shorebirds.

Second place honors went to Edward Suthoff of Mississippi for his rendering of snow geese. Third place went to Ron Lape of Lucas, Ohio for his portrait of wigeons. Semi-finalists included Ron Louque of Virginia, and Jeffery Klinefelter of Indiana.

Last year's Ohio wetlands stamp winner, Adam Grimm of Elyria, Ohio, will see his painting of a drake wood duck appear on this fall's 2005 wetlands habitat stamp.

The judges for this year's event included Shannon Mayes, an avid duck hunter and conservationist; outdoor writer Larry Moore; photographer/videographer Steve Maslowski; Charles Ayers and Mike Mullady of Ducks Unlimited. Mark Carero of Ducks Unlimited served as an alternate judge.