ARTIST: Don Balke (North Carolina, born 1933)
NAME: Black Bear and Sugar Maple
MEDIUM: gouache on paper
CONDITION: Excellent. Framed under glass.
SIGHT SIZE: 14 x 16 inches / 35 x 40 cm
FRAME SIZE: 20 x 22 inches / 50 x 55 cm
SIGNATURE: lower right
NOTE: Outgoing and inquisitive, Black Bears delight sightseers in many North American woodlands. They clown and cavort, beg for hand-outs and manage to survive, even though civilization encroaches on their territory. Smokey, the number one supporter of fire prevention in America, was a Black Bear cub
when he was rescued from a New Mexico forest fire in 1951. When full-grown, Smokey became a resident of Washington, D.C.'s National Zoological Park. Not all Black Bears are as trustworthy as Smokey however, and, while they will docilely take sweets from human hands, they are just as capable of
becoming aggressive. When not eating goodies offered by sightseers, Black Bears are primarily vegetarians. They eat berries and roots with only an occasional treat of rodents, ants or fresh meat. All this food insulates the Black Bear for a long winter's nap. From October to May, they sleep in caves or hollow
logs. Females are roused from their lazy slumbers by the birth of cubs, usually twins, born in midwinter. The babies huddle against their mothers while they nurse until spring brings good weather and their first chance to discover the world. Mom teaches the cubs to climb trees like the Sugar Maple, chosen as
West Virginia's state tree. She gently gives them lessons in hunting and cuffs them when they disobey. Cute, and just asking to be cuddled, Black Bear cubs captured Teddy Roosevelt's heart and inspired the ever-popular Teddy Bear that many young children now treasure. (has original gallery label on verso)
PROVENANCE: This painting was published in the limited edition collection of philatelic proofcards issued by Fleetwood and the National Audubon Society for the Wildlife of the 50 States.; Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
CATEGORY: antique vintage painting
SKU#: 116926
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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[citation needed] 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.