ARTIST: Don Balke (North Carolina, born 1933)
TITLE: Gray Squirrel
MEDIUM: gouache and watercolor on board
CONDITION: Very good.
ART SIZE: 11 x 11 inches / 27 x 27 cm
BOARD SIZE: 19 x 20 inches / 48 x 50 cm
SIGNATURE: lower right
PROVENANCE: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
NOTE: This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. Wildlife of the 50 States 22c Gray Squirrel/Kentucky stamp issued June 13, 1987. Friendly and inquisitive, the Gray Squirrel is more civilized than its smaller more northern relative the red squirrel. They can often be found everywhere from rural backyards to big city neighborhoods. Easily identified, its long cylindrical body and bushy tail are covered with soft gray hair. Gray Squirrels have keen eyesight and wide vision, thus they can distinguish vertical objects particularly well, and estimate distances between trees with great accuracy. Normally living in treetops, Gray Squirrels can be seen hanging from their powerful rear limbs while feeding. To supplement their herbivorous diet Gray Squirrels occasionally strip the bark from deciduous trees, this action also helps to wear down their constantly growing incisors. Bark stripping is also frequently part of nest building or cavity lining for Gray Squirrels. Not territorial, Gray Squirrel offspring may establish home ranges near the original territory of their parents. In fact; the pattern of social organization Gray Squirrels follow -- large male ranges overlapping several smaller female ranges -- is typical of many nonterritorial mammals. However, this structure does not effect food search cooperation or efficient protection against predators.
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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.