Don Balke
Encyclopedia
Don Balke is an American artist. He is best known for his watercolor wildlife art and scenic oil paintings.
. 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 he elementary school fora 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 acre (0.809372 km²) 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.
During the 1980s, he researched and painted most of the wildlife of the United States and their habitats and produced hundred of paintings in the following series:
Life and career
Balke, the youngest of ten children, grew up on a farm in northern backcountry of WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. His family was completely dependent on the land; they tapped trees to make maple syrup
Maple syrup
Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species such as the bigleaf maple. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then...
; 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 he elementary school fora 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
Thiensville, Wisconsin
Thiensville is a village in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,254 at the 2000 census. It was founded by its namesake, John Henry Thien....
. Balke's love of
nature took him to the NC mountains where he
bought 200 acre (0.809372 km²) 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
Grandfather Mountain
Grandfather Mountain is a mountain, a non-profit attraction, and a North Carolina state parknear Linville, North Carolina. At 5,946 feet , it is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the major chains of the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway...
in North Carolina.
Works
[Incomplete list]During the 1980s, he researched and painted most of the wildlife of the United States and their habitats and produced hundred of paintings in the following series:
- Animals of the 50 States, sanctioned by the National Audubon Society
- Wildlife of the 50 States, offered through the National Wildlife Federation
- Birds and Flowers of Canada
- Songbirds of the 50 States
- Trees of the 50 States
External links
- http://www.balkegallery.com - Don Balke Gallery