Jie Haung

Species: Northern Pintail
Entry Title: "Pintail Duck in a Pond"
Artist's State: Montana

Jie Haung, 16, of Hamilton, Montana, was the first place national winner of the 1995 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest, and the first female to win the national competition. Jie and her family came to America from China when she was only 6 years old.

At the time of her win, Jie was a Junior at Hamilton High School where James Roth was her art teacher. Jie's winning design, called "Pintail Duck in a Pond," was created from one of the photographs she gathered while researching her design entry.

Along with her dad and brother, Jie has enjoyed many outings to local sites such as the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge in Stevensville, Montana, to photograph waterfowl in its natural habitat. Jie researched many different species before deciding which one to paint. As part of this research, Jie took hundreds of photographs in order create a reference file of various species of waterfowl and seasonal habitats.

As a national winner, Jie, along with her art teacher and one of her parents, won a free trip to Washington, DC, to be honored at the Federal Duck Stamp Contest, held each year in November. In addition, she received a $2,500 scholarship award. Jie's winning design was used to create the 1995 Junior Duck Stamp, which sells for $5 and raises money for conservation education awards and scholarships.