DELAWARE - Two wildlife artists have been recognized for their exceptional contributions to Delaware's 2025/26 Waterfowl and Trout Stamp art contests, as announced by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Aug. 22.
Richard Clifton, a renowned Delaware wildlife artist and 11-time winner of the state's stamp contests, claimed first place in the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp competition with his painting of a Canada goose. Clifton’s artwork will be featured on the 2025/26 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp, marking his latest achievement in a distinguished career that includes multiple federal duck stamp wins and international accolades.
In the Delaware Trout Stamp contest, Dennis Arp of Edison, Nebraska, earned top honors for the second time with his depiction of a brook trout. Arp’s artwork will appear on the 2025 Delaware Trout Stamp, which will be available for purchase starting Jan. 1, 2025.
DNREC said the annual contests attracted 16 entries each for both the Waterfowl and Trout Stamps. The Waterfowl Stamp contest required submissions to feature a Canada goose in an agricultural landscape, while the Trout Stamp contest allowed for depictions of rainbow, brown or brook trout.
As the winner of the Waterfowl Stamp contest, Clifton will receive a $2,500 cash prize and 150 artist’s proofs of his limited edition print. Clifton, who resides on a historic family farm near Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, has created more than 50 winning duck and waterfowl stamps throughout his career. His work has been featured on magazine covers, commemorative items and engraved on shotguns for Ducks Unlimited, which named him the 2018 International Artist of the Year, said DNREC.
Arp, the winner of the Trout Stamp contest, will receive a $250 cash prize and retains the rights to reproduce and sell prints of his winning artwork. DNREC said Arp, a self-taught artist with a deep passion for the outdoors, previously won the Delaware Trout Stamp contest in 2021 and secured second place last year.
Other notable placements in the contests include:
2025/26 Waterfowl Stamp:
- Second place: Caleb Metrich, Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin
- Third place: Jonathan Milo, Monroe, Connecticut
- Honorable mentions: Matt Doyle, Everett, Pennsylvania; Ryan Kniss, Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Marion Orchard, Severn, Maryland
2025 Trout Stamp:
- Second place: Eric Jablonowski, Suwanee, Georgia, brown trout
- Third place: George Bradford, Georgetown, Delaware, rainbow trout
- Honorable mentions: Tory Farris, Foxcroft, Maine, two entries (brook trout and brown trout); Charles Worst, Fort Wayne, Indiana, brook trout
The winning stamps will support Delaware’s conservation efforts, with proceeds from the Waterfowl Stamp sales benefiting wetland habitats essential for migratory waterfowl. Similarly, Trout Stamp funds are used to stock select streams and ponds in the state with trout, supporting the local angling community.