Don Balke (North Carolina, B. 1933) "White-tailed Deer" Signed lower left. Original Watercolor 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 Balke's Baby Wildlife of the 50 States, postmarked December 12, 1984.
In a dense thicket deep in the woods of Pennsylvania, a pair of reddish-brown fawns lie still, their white-dappled backs blending almost perfectly with the shadows and fallen leaves about them. Resting quietly in the forest, they are waiting patiently for their mother, a fully-grown White-tailed Deer, who has gone for food and drink. She must eat well, for when she returns, she will nurse her twins -- sometimes triplets -- with milk that contains three times the protein and fat found in cow's milk. On such hardy fare, the tender young fawns grow quickly. Their first few steps on long, thin, wobbly legs are quite a struggle -- often accompanied by some awkward splats on the ground -- as all four feet go out from under them. But determination and a little persistence pay off. For soon, these beautiful young fawns are gracefully frolicking through the shaded thicket, running and jumping about, and nuzzling their mother in a show of loving affection. She will suckle them until fall when it is time for her to mate again. In the meantime, they will acquire a taste for the lush, green grass, leaves, moss, tree bark and tender young buds that will make up their adult diet. Growing to a height of four feet at the shoulder and weighing about two hundred pounds, the White-tailed Deer can run more than thirty miles an hour, with an innate ability to jump obstacles up to eight feet high and leap crevices thirty feet wide. Both fawns and adults are enchanting beasts of the thick Pennsylvania woodlands.
Image Size: 11 x 12.5 in.
Overall Size: 19.25 x 21 in.
Unframed.
(B09210)
Condition
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