Zeng Xiaolian (B. 1939) "Rhododendron Delavayi" Original Watercolor painting. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the China 10fen Rhododendron stamp issued June 25, 1991. Born in 1939 in Yunnan Province, Zeng Xiao Lian is a talented Chinese artist. He worked as a senior engineer of the Botanical Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences. In addition, Zeng Xiao Lian received artistic training in Beijing. The artist has painted a series of beautiful botanical images of flowers and birds. These accurate detailed images have been published in more than fifty books, including "Flora of China", "Flora and Rhododendrons Yunnan" and others. Paintings by Zeng Xiao Lian participated in numerous national exhibitions in China, as well as in the United States, Canada and Australia. Native to the higher altitudes and moist acid soils of southern China and Southeast Asia, the R. delavayi is a plant as hardy as it is colorful. In the nurturing climate of its homeland, this plant forms dense thickets of ground cover and tall, elegant trees bearing flowers of white, pink or red. It is also a popular hedge and border shrub, its ornamental flowers appearing over a long season and its infintie varieties delighting gardeners worldwide. Image Size: 8.75 x 12.75 in. Overall Size: 12 x 13.75 in. Unframed. (B13054)