ARTIST: Don Balke (North Carolina, born 1933)
TITLE: Common Goldeneye Ducks
MEDIUM: gouache and watercolor on board
CONDITION: Very good.
ART SIZE: 11 x 13 inches / 27 x 33 cm
BOARD SIZE: 18 x 20 inches / 45 x 50 cm
SIGNATURE: lower right
PROVENANCE: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
NOTE: This painting originally appeared on the Fleetwood Commemorative Cover for the Waterbirds of the 50 States Wisconsin/Common Goldeneye. A February snowstorm may drop a blanket of thick, white snow across a Wisconsin forest, but even this does not dampen the enthusiasm of the courting Goldeneyes. Like restive flotillas, they swim about amid the drabber ducks. With their bright golden eyes -- for which they are named -- and their eye-catching black and white plumage, they are the most beautiful cratures on the waterfront. Thrusting his puffed-up head forward, then jerking it back, the drake utters a nasal spee-ick cry all the while kicking up a spray of water to the rear, and exposing his bright orange feet. So goes the impressive courtship display. The Goldeneyes appear early on their breeding ground, occasionally occupying open areas between the ice sheets on lakes and streams. For a nest, the birds choose a rotting, hardwood tree near a lake and the eggs are tenderly wrapped in soft, warm down. In areas where ponds stay ice-free, many Goldeneyes never migrate from their breeding grounds. Yellowstone National Park is an excellent example. There, hot springs and geysers keep stretches of water open year-round and the Goldeneyes linger there contentedly all year long. But, in Wisconsin, where winters can be very cold ... and lakes and streams freeze up, the Goldeneye must desert its home for warmer territories. Hikers and naturalists have come to recognize the whirring of the Goldeneye's wings which signals the bird's arrival each spring. It is a welcome sound that earned this watersbird its nickname, the whistler.
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BIOGRAPHY:
Balke, the youngest of ten children, grew up on a farm in northern backcountry of Wisconsin. His family was completely dependent on the land; they tapped trees to make maple syrup; used crosscut saws for logging and horses for their farmwork; they raised crops for themselves and as income. His upbringing instilled in him a love of nature and wildlife. He received his first art award in a Wisconsin state-sponsored art contest while at elementary school for a painting of a black bear roaming in the woods. After serving in the US Army, he married Barbara Schernick and they moved to Chicago where he enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts, now known as the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During his time at the Academy, he specialized in still-life paintings. After graduating, he was hired by a Chicago illustrating studio and eventually moved back to Wisconsin where he worked as a commercial art director. He won many awards for his work as an art director and illustrator. On his own time, late in the night, he painted and developed his skills as a wildlife artist. After 17 years, he left his work as an art director to devote himself completely to watercolors and wildlife art. By 1979, they had six children and a home in the village of Thiensville, Wisconsin. Balke's love of nature took him to the NC mountains where he bought 200 acres in McDowell County and built a home. In 1985, a gallery was added and the Don Balke Wildlife Gallery was opened. In 1987, his work was chosen as the illustration for the official NC Zoo poster. In 1992, the United States Post Office issued a series of first-class postage stamps portraying five different species of hummingbirds designed by Balke. Balke travels to Africa, Australia, Ireland, the Caribbean, and across the 50 United States for inspiration and research. His wife, Barbara Schernick Balke, does extensive research on the animals and their habitats in preparation for the paintings and does much of the photography on research trips. He is best known for his detailed and realistic watercolor paintings portraying wildlife in their natural environment. In 2000, he transitioned to a more impressionistic style with oils portraying scenes from Yosemite National Park in California, Ocracoke Island on the Outer Banks, and Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.