Arthur and Alan D. Singer: Roadrunner and Yucca Flower

Artist: Arthur and Alan D. Singer
1917 -
Nationality: American
Artwork Year: 1976
Image Size: 13.75 by 11.75 inches
Overall Size: 19.5 by 17.5 inches
Medium: Water Color on Cold Press Illustration Board

Roadrunner

The rattlesnake strikes repeatedly, but the Roadrunner dodges. The snake tires, and the big bird dances in, stabs at the reptile's head with its long beak, thrashes it on a rock and begins to feed on it. So goes mealtime for the Roadrunner to whom the desert is home, and almost anything that moves is food. New Mexicans say the unlike tracks of this strange bird confuse the Devil, who can't tell which way the bird has fled. For a short stretch a Roadrunner can sprint twenty miles an hour. Early travelers along the Santa Fe Trail first noticed the "chaparral cock" as it raced along in the wagon ruts. Its wily antics amused the pioneers who nicknamed it the Roadrunner.

Yucca Flower

Of the seven varieties of Yucca that grow in abundance in New Mexico, the stately Yucca elata is one of the most elegant. In the early summer, pale ivory flowers bloom at the tips of its long fibrous stalks. At the base of the plant are broad, sharp-edged leaves that look like stilettos. The Yucca sometimes rises to the height of a small tree and can be seen on the horizon all over the southern part of the state. Its roots were ground into an excellent substitute for soap called amole by the Indian and pioneer women. The Yucca has a remarkable method of pollination. Moths, attracted to the Yucca's irresistible perfume, fly from plant to plant transferring the pollen.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood® First Day Cover for the 20¢ New Mexico: Roadrunner and Yucca Flower stamp issued on April 14, 1982.

Artwork Copyright © 1976 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): Sold

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