Mountain Home Junior High School student Josie Arp recently won the top prize in the Arkansas Junior Duck Stamp Program. This was the second year in a row that the ninth grader has won top honors in that competition. Arp’s acrylic rendition of a ruddy duck won her 7th-9th grade age group as well as being named “Best in Show” for the 2021 contest. Out of the selection of North American species, Arp chose to feature ruddy ducks because their unique appearance appealed to her. Arp’s painting took more than 20 hours and several months to complete. Arp used different reference photos for the background, water and sunset, and a design of her very own for the ruddy duck in order to create her winning piece, titled “Serenity at Sunset.”