Waterfowl

2022 Featured Artist - Richard Clifton


The Waterfowl Festival is excited to announce that Richard Clifton has been chosen as the Featured Artist for the 2022 Waterfowl Festival. Clifton is a world-renowned wildlife artist and won the 2007 and 2020 Federal Duck Stamp contest.

For Waterfowl Festival 2022, Clifton created a painting that is understated and elegant. “November Morning-Pintails” evokes calm. Soft background light sets apart the ducks – three drakes and two hens. The contrasting patterns on the ducks give variety, while the colors serve to tie them together in a warm, serene composition. The painting is 24”x36” unframed, and 32”x44” framed. The framed original is being offered for $12,000. Posters will be available on our website and during the Festival at the Featured Artist tent downtown.

"The long tradition of the Festival promoting ducks and geese and my love of painting waterfowl are coming together, and it feels like a good fit," says Clifton.  "We should all be excited by the hope and promise this brings as we gather in November."

“The Waterfowl Festival is truly fortunate and honored to have Richard Clifton selected as its 2022 Featured Artist,” said Kenneth Miller, President of the Waterfowl Festival Board of Directors. “Richard is one of our country’s premier artists for paintings that capture the beauty of waterfowl within their natural habitat. His compositions evoke a unique, if not varied set of emotions and feelings among experienced waterfowlers, naturalists and art collectors alike.”

Clifton is a self-taught, award-winning artist. Waterfowl are one of his favorite subjects and he has painted 53 duck stamps from various states and countries, including the 1996 Australian Duck Stamp.

In addition, Clifton’s art has been chosen several times for the Ducks Unlimited National Art Package and he was named Artist of the Year by DU three times.

“As a wildlife artist, it has always been a career dream of mine to be the featured artist for a show,” says Clifton. “So, I was both humbled and honored to be named 2022 Featured Artist for the Waterfowl Festival.”

Clifton first exhibited at the Festival in 2006. His work is sought by domestic & international fine art collectors.