Don Balke (North Carolina, B. 1933) "Western Meadowlark and Sunflower" Signed lower left. Original Watercolor painting on Illustration Board.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood commemorative cover for "Balke's Birds and Flowers" series, U.S. 20c Meadowlark/Sunflower, cancelled January 29, 1985.

A Kansas naturalist had this to say about the Western Meadowlark: "Kansas is primarily a prairie state, and the Meadowlark is a prairie bird. So many of our birds range only in parts of the state, while the Meadowlark is extremely abundant in every county. Those traveling the state by car or train could scarcely fail to encounter these birds in every mile of the journey, since they have the habit of perching along the fence lines. It is a strikingly beautiful bird, and every child is familiar with its rich liquid songs." The Western Meadowlark is truly a part of Kansas in all seasons. through drought and blizzard, sunshine and rain.

One of nature's largest flowers, the Sunflower is a sunburst of radiant yellow. The Sunflower's golden banners are made up of a circle of ray flowers that attract insects to the hundreds of little brown seed-bearing disk flowers in the centers. Each disk floret is a five-pointed tube. In this are five stamens which have their tips joined. The pistil, growing from the seed container, pushes against these tips and forces them out of the tube, making the pollen burst out like a yellow star. Sunflowers grow up to ten feet tall in a single season. The heavy heads bend over and scatter the ripe seeds where a new generation will grow in the spring.

Image Size: 11 x 12.25 in.
Overall Size: 19.25 x 21 in.
Unframed.
(B09259)

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