Out of more than 200 entries from around the state, a Powell High School senior won the top prize in the 2019 Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Program.

Brianna Simmons’s watercolor rendition of a pair of northern pintail drakes was named Best of Show.

“When I heard I won I was honestly quite shocked and happy, as I didn’t think it would happen, especially with [it being] my last year of entering the contest,” Simmons said.

Simmons said she chose to feature pintails because they’re her favorite. It took about four to five hours to complete her painting, and she used six different reference photos to create her winning piece, titled “Pintails in Flight.”

Simmons, who lives in Cody and attends school in Powell, has taken art classes throughout her school years.

As she prepares to graduate next month, Simmons said she plans on continuing with art, “but more in the taxidermy field, as it’s my passion.”

Her taxidermy projects include a black bear mount, multiple deer, pheasants, ducks, elk, an otter and many others. She hopes to become a taxidermist.

With her winning duck watercolor, Simmons will represent Wyoming in the 2019 National Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest. The national winner will be selected Friday, and their image will be printed on a stamp, to be released in June.

Powell High School students had an impressive showing at this year’s Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp contest, winning four of the top five prizes (see list below).

PHS art teacher Jim Gilman said he wasn’t too surprised to see how well Powell students did this year.

“There were so many students who put forth incredible effort on this project,” Gilman said, adding, “I’m very happy to see them rewarded for their work.”

The Junior Duck Stamp Program uses both conservation and design principles to teach waterfowl biology and wetland habitat to K-12 students. As they submit their artwork for the contest, students also can include a conservation message. This year’s winning conservation message, submitted by Cydney Brown of Cokeville, says: “A future without conservation is like a canvas without paint.”

2019 Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Design Winners

Grades 7-9

1st Place: Abigail Urbach

1st Place - 3rd Runner Up: Jace Bohlman

1st Place - 4th Runner Up: Riley Schiller

2nd Place: Reed Smith

2nd Place: Abby Bradley

2nd Place: Charlotte Wilson

3rd Place: Jenna Hillman

Honorable Mention: Arianna Rodriguez-Medford

Honorable Mention: Kalaiah Stenlund

Honorable Mention: Taylor Paul

Honorable Mention: Adriana Munoz

Honorable Mention: Ben Whitlock

Honorable Mention: Bayley Kokkeler

Grades 10-12

1st Place - 1st Runner Up: Brylee Schuler

1st Place: Brianna Simmons

2nd Place: Jessica Kasinger

2nd Place: Emma Waite

3rd Place: Jasmin Preator

3rd Place: Kaylee Stewart

3rd Place: Dayton Asher

Honorable Mention: Triniti Bruski

Honorable Mention: Ashley Dunkerley

Honorable Mention: Jaxson Carter

Honorable Mention: William Preator

Honorable Mention: Augusta Larsen

Honorable Mention: Hailey Carner

Honorable Mention: Lane Franks

Honorable Mention: Delaney Jackson

Honorable Mention: Emerson Wormald

Honorable Mention: Jenna Merritt

Honorable Mention: McKenna Werbelow

Honorable Mention: Averee Johnson

Creative Recognition: Sophe Morrow