Don Balke: Bobolink and Madonna Lily

Artist: Don Balke
1932 -
Nationality: American
Artwork Year: 1978
Image Size: 14.5 by 13.5 inches
Overall Size: 17 by 14 inches
Medium: Water Color on Cold Press Illustration Board

BOBOLINK Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Leaving their winter home in Southern Brazil, the male Bobolinks, clad in black mating plumage, embark on their five thousand mile journey to Canada. The males fill the air with joyous song upon reaching the Canadian grasslands in May. Shortly, the females arrive clad in yellowish feathers with dark stripes. The male then begins his distinctive mating dance. He serenades, spreads his wings, and erects his yellow nape. Following this impressive ritual, the female constructs a ground nest and lays five or six gray or brown eggs. By August, the young family is established. Then, the male molts, and the Bobolink's singing ceases, his diet changes to seeds, and he soon begins his journey toward South America.

MADONNA LILY Lilium candidum
The Madonna Lily with its pure white flowers and pleasant fragrance is probably the oldest cultivated Lily. The Lily is pictured in art dating back to 1750 B.C. Monks of the Middle Ages prized it and many Renaissance paintings link the Madonna Lily with the Virgin Mary. The only Lily with an evergreen character, the Madonna Lily prefers chalky soil with free drainage and drenching sunlight. Under these conditions, tall sturdy stalks, measuring five to six feet in height, can grow and support twenty of the snowy trumpet-like blossoms. Six-inch leaves produced in autumn, are also borne on the stalk. The lovely Madonna Lily should be planted in late summer with only the tip of the bulb covered with soil.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood® commemorative cover for the Birds and Flowers of Canada - Quebec, cancelled June 30, 1978.

Artwork Copyright © 1978 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): XB05174

US$ Price: $1,250.00

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