11×14″ Watercolor Painting by Jamie Wilke
Fine Art for Sale:
Original Artwork: $349 Art Only | $649 Framed
Limited Edition Prints (Paper or Canvas): $39+
These beautiful red oriental poppies (papaver) grow wild in the residential roadsides of our cute little mountain town of Palmer Lake for four weeks each summer. The photo for this painting was taken near the historic Estemere mansion.
My neighbors who have grown up in Palmer Lake have shared with me that these bright red poppies are not a native flower to the Palmer Lake area, but they do thrive beautifully here with lots of sun, well-drained and low-fertile dirt, and a dry climate.
I’ve been told that in the early 1900s, someone walked around Palmer Lake, sprinkling poppy seeds in the ditches around the homes in town. They reseed themselves every year and are still blooming prolifically today.
Recently I have learned, that historically, red poppies are known as symbol of remembrance of deceased war veterans, in particular World War I. Now I see the connection of the two stories. Read more about red poppies as a symbol remembrance for World War I veterans here: https://www.history.com/news/world-war-i-poppy-remembrance-symbol-veterans-day.