A Sportsman’s Artist

Ducks Unlimited’s International Artist of the Year

Clearly having been there and done that, David Maass displays an extraordinary talent for translating his experiences afield onto canvas

By Gary Koehler

Duck hunters who look at a David Maass painting long enough often get the feeling of having been there, or at the very least, wishing that they had been. His images provide an intoxicating mix of birds on the wing, button-up-your-coat weather conditions, and waterfowl habitat to die for. The recurring message stirs powerful feelings for those who recognize and treasure such special moments. Those who don’t get it may be well advised to trade in their decoys and take up croquet, lawn darts, or similar amusements.

Maass has been producing wildlife art for five decades. The fourth painting in his Fruits of Your Labor series, this one featuring canvasbacks, has earned him the title of 2004 Ducks Unlimited International Artist of the Year. He was accorded similar honors in 1974 and 1988. In addition, he has designed 36 duck and conservation stamps, including two federal duck stamps (1974 and 1982). His work has been published in magazines, books, and journals. And a few years ago, US ART accorded Maass the prestigious title of Master Artist.

The why of it all perhaps can be traced to Maass’s roots. Like many Minnesotans, his family enjoyed the outdoors.

“Hunting came before painting,” Maass says. “My parents were big hunters and shooters. My mother was a state trap-shooting champion. I grew up in that environment and always liked to draw. My work is a combination of the two interests.

“A big portion of what I paint are places where I have hunted or where I’ve been,” he adds. “My very best paintings came from having been there, seen it, and smelled it—the whole works.”

Maass left a job as a Jostens artist in 1963 to become a full-time wildlife artist. There were no guarantees that his work would sell. But he persevered, one painting at a time, and became among the best in the world at his craft. Despite a résumé full of accolades, he says he’s still learning.

“It is the type of thing that the more I learn the more I find out that I still have much to learn. I don’t think I’ll ever catch up with it,” Maass says. “It’s a fascinating business. If I did the same painting over and over again, which I don’t, I would try to improve something every time. I never finished a painting where I didn’t look it over and say, ‘Boy, I wish I would have done that a little differently.’ ”

While Maass has on occasion painted other wildlife, he feels most comfortable, and most confident, concentrating on wildfowl.

“Mainly I paint anything that flies, and usually is hunted. I always felt that I have been more of a sportsman’s artist, and that’s why that is. I’ve done cardinals, and chickadees, and some songbirds, but I really like to paint the birds that we hunt. I don’t hunt mammals, so I don’t paint them. I don’t feel I know enough about them,” Maass says.

As a principal player in the wildlife art industry, Maass has watched changes evolve over time.

“Wildlife art has changed tremendously. There were fewer artists doing it when I was starting out, and most of those were in the sporting art field, painting what hunters wanted to see,” Maass says. “More people now are into the songbirds and other things. A lot of people who are buying wildlife art are not hunters. There is a lot more wildlife art than there is sporting art.”

A more sophisticated audience has also changed the market.

“I think people have gotten a lot more selective with what they buy,” Maass says. “We went through a period where you could paint just about anything, print it, and people would buy it. That whole thing has collapsed a little bit. Artists can’t really get by any more trying to sell prints of something that is substandard.”

Maass’s art has raised tens of millions of dollars for wildlife habitat conservation. His wife, Ann, in addition to handling much of the business side of his work, has supported her husband’s commitment to the outdoors.

“We are still letting too many of our wetlands get taken away,” Maass says. “We’re squandering our natural resources by not taking care of them. Thank God for Ducks Unlimited and other conservation organizations. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know where we’d be. A lot has been accomplished, but people have to realize that so much more has to be done.”

DUCKS UNLIMITED’S NATIONAL ART PACKAGE

Ducks Unlimited is fortunate to work with many of the country’s finest wildlife artists through its national art program. The artistic contributions of these talented men and women have helped to raise millions of dollars for waterfowl and wetlands habitat conservation. This year, once again, DU has assembled an outstanding collection of wildlife art. These images will be available beginning this summer at DU membership events across the nation. Join us for a good time at an event in your area. In addition to the pieces depicted here, decoys and other sporting collectibles will also be available. Proceeds will be used to help fund waterfowl habitat projects throughout North America.

• Mixed Bag
by Richard Plasschaert
Teal on the wing are always a thrill. And these birds can also provide frustration for the unprepared. They often arrive with a whoooosh.

• Standing Guard
by Bruce Miller
A Canada goose keeps a watchful eye as its mate tends the nest at water’s edge.
Real-life marsh drama at its finest.

• Dreams Come True
by Ralph McDonald
With a focus on youngsters, this series has become a favorite among the ranks of the duck hunting fraternity. The young lady and her devoted Lab prepare for a morning afield.

• Great Retrievers-Black Labrador-Pintails
by Jim Killen
Artist Jim Killen. A handsome Labrador retriever. Pintails. Need we say more? This one is bound to please.

• Light Wind & Drizzle
by Richard Clifton
This is a Canada goose morning, all right. These honkers are bound for the cut cornfield.
A great place to be set up.

• Prairie Wings
by Guy Crittenden
Anyone who has ever hunted flooded timber will embrace this scene. The stuff of which dreams are made. This print is Guy Crittenden’s debut in the national art package.

• The Challenge
by Jim Hansel
Amazing detail in a woodland setting. This big old gobbler appears more than willing to defend his turf against all comers.