Don Balke (North Carolina, B. 1933) "Wild Turkey" Signed lower left. 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 First Day Cover for the U.S. 37c Wild Turkey stamp from the Northeast Deciduous Forest set issued March 3, 2005.
The Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is native to North America and found in every state except Alaska. Abundant in the deciduous forests of the northeast even before the arrival of the early settlers, its range began to shrink in the 1800s as more and more timbered land was cultivated for farming. With no regulated hunting season to prevent it from being killed year-round, the Wild Turkey disappeared in the northeast for 100 years. However, today large populations of the Wild Turkey are again found in its ancient habitats. The Wild Turkey is distinguished from its domestic cousin by a longer neck and legs, a more slender body, smaller head and darker plumage. Jakes, or yearling gobblers, weigh around 12 pounds, reaching an average of 18 to 21 pounds as adults. In spite of their size, they can run at least 12 miles per hour and fly at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour. Known as opportunistic omnivores, wild turkeys eat various plant and animal matter wherever and whenever they can, but about 90 percent of their diet comes from plants and cultivated crops, including the green foliage of grasses, vines, acorns, buds, seeds, ryegrass, chufa and clovers. Capable of scratching through four to six inches of snow during the winter, they can fast for over two weeks in areas of deep snow and survive in spite of losing up to 50 percent of their body weight. This painting shows a Wild Turkey strolling in the forest.
Image Size: 7 x 6 in.
Overall Size: 14 x 13 in.
Unframed.
(B17377)
Condition
- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.
- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via wire transfer or cashier’s check, no other forms of payment will be accepted.
- All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.
- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com
- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through 6 online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.
- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be out bid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.