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