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Rebekah Nastav |
It's no easy task to get the attention of those who judge the artwork- but her perseverance has certainly paid off. An equally striking painting of a Blue Winged Teal won 6th place for Nastav as her creations were considered for the U.S Fish & Wildlife conservation stamps program.
In her own words, Rebekah reveals more about her humble journey:
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| Nastav's 6th place entry, a Blue Winged Teal |
I have been painting and drawing since I was a toddler. My interest has always been in animals. I started taking my art seriously and competitively at the age of 13, when I won a first place ribbon for my age category in the 2004 Missouri Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest, and again a first place ribbon in 2005. You may recall that when I was 15, I entered the same contest again for the third time. My entry, titled "Morning Swim," featuring a single Redhead drake swimming in the morning light, won Best Of Show for the state of Missouri. My entry then went on to compete with the other 49 states, and was finally selected as the first place winner of the national 2006 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest. I entered the following two years and won third place both times. In 2009 after I graduated high school (which, by the way, I was homeschooled), I was old enough to enter the Federal Duck Stamp Contest. Since the competition is much higher in quality as well as quantity, my entry (a single wood duck drake) did not get through the first round of judging. The following year was the same with my entry featuring a northern shoveler.
