Don Balke (North Carolina, B. 1933) "Cardinal and Red Carnation" Signed lower right. Original Watercolor painting on Illustration Board.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood Commemorative cover for the Ohio "Balke's Birds and Flowers" series, cancelled March 1, 1985. The male Cardinal brings the female tidbits of berries and insects during the two weeks that she incubates the three bluish-white eggs spotted with brown. While she prepares another nest for a second set of eggs, the male often takes complete charge of the fledglings, feeding them grasshoppers and beetles. So strong is the male Cardinal's instinct to feed young birds that he sometimes thrusts food down the throats of nestlings of other species. When out of the nest, the fledglings wear a plumage even browner and duller than their mother's garb, but soon their undersides turn lighter and the crests of the young male birds become reddish in color. The Red Carnation, a European native, has been cultivated for the last two thousand years. Its name is derived from the Latin carnis, flesh, because the flower is commonly thought of as being pale pink, or flesh-colored. It was honored with the title of state flower of Ohio in memory of President William McKinley. He was born in Niles, Ohio, in 1843, and it was his favorite flower. More than one hundred varieties of Carnations have been developed by man from the original wild pink, which had only five petals. Carnations come in many colors, all with highly fragrant flowers. Some varieties have a narrow edging of a second color trimming the petals.

Image Size: 11 x 12.75 in.
Overall Size: 18.25 x 21 in.
Unframed.
(B09345)

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