ARTIST: Don Balke (North Carolina, 1933 - ???)
TITLE: Birds - Sanderling
YEAR: 1986
MEDIUM: gouache and watercolor on board
CONDITION: Very good.
ART SIZE: 11 x 13 inches / 27 x 33 cm
BOARD SIZE: 19 x 21 inches / 48 x 53 cm
SIGNATURE: lower left
NOTE: This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood commemorative cover for Balke's Shorebirds of the 50 States, cancelled December 14, 1986. Sanderlings are found dashing towards the receding waves of almost every beach in the world. Sanderlings dart to snatch tiny mollusks and shrimp in the wet sand with their short pointy bill before their prey can burrow. Then, awaiting the next wave, Sanderlings retreat and stand poised to begin feeding again. As Sanderlings slowly expand their range inland, groups of hundreds of birds can be seen on the freshwater beaches of larger lakes. Sanderlings are normally only seen wearing the gray-white brown-speckled winter plumes which blend well into the sandy background of the beach. But by winter's end, when the Sandelings begin to migrate toward their Arctic breeding grounds, they acquire a deep rust-red coat. Males begin courting with a curious snarling call. They then scrape several depressions above the receding snowline for nesting. Females select one of these hollows and line the nest with dry moss, lichen and grass. After the eggs are laid, the male Sanderling begins incubation, while the female may lay a second clutch of eggs and incubate them herself. When the eggs hatch, the parent leads the young away from the nest sometime during the first day. At the end of two weeks, the young Sanderlings fly well and are completely self-sufficient. Sanderlings flock together again in later summer and traveling hundreds of miles each night, they scatter across the beaches of the world.
PROVENANCE: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
CATEGORY: old antique vintage painting for auction sale online
AD: ART CONSIGNMENTS WANTED. CONTACT US

USEFUL INFO ABOUT ART IS ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA:

SKU#: 125119
US SHIPPING: $60 + insurance.

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.