ARTIST: Don Balke (North Carolina, born 1933)
TITLE: Green Winged Teal Ducks, Vermont
YEAR: 1982
MEDIUM: gouache and watercolor on board
CONDITION: Very good.
ART SIZE: 11 x 12 inches / 27 x 30 cm
BOARD SIZE: 18 x 20 inches / 45 x 50 cm
SIGNATURE: lower left
NOTE: This painting originally appeared on the Fleetwood Commemorative Cover for the Waterbirds of the 50 States Vermont/Green-winged Teal. Bottoms up, feeting kicking to maintain balance, the Green-winged Teal search the pond for seeds of pondweed and sedge. The slightest disturbance immediately ends the hunt and the birds -- the smallest of America's puddle ducks -- take to the air. Their flight is unusual, for the birds leap straight up into the air. Then, in a tightly-formed flock, the ducks level off. Like tiny pond fish who have sprouted wings, the Teal twist, turn and dive in unison. Observers -- campers, ornithologists and all others who venture into the countryside -- marvel at the incredible precision of the Green-winged Teals's flight. Many of these interesting waterbirds spend the winter south ... enjoying the warmth of Mexico and the West Indies. But, at the first hint of spring, the Green-winged Teal are drawn north to their nesting grounds in Canada. It is while in route to and from these nesting grounds on the Canadian plains that the Green-winged Teal are often spied in Vermont. The Teal are readily identifiable by the beautiful band of green plumage on their wings and by the male's bright green head patch. Indeed, whether viewed while on the wing, flying high above in a tightly-formed flock ... or spied while searching for food on one of Vermont's country ponds ... the Green-winged Teal is an attractive and welcome visitor to the Green Mountain State of Vermont.
PROVENANCE: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
CATEGORY: old antique vintage painting for auction sale online
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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.