Don Balke: Porcupine and Sugar Maple

Artist: Don Balke
1932 -
Nationality: American
Artwork Year: 1979
Image Size: 14 by 12.125 inches
Overall Size: 23 by 20.125 inches
Medium: Water Color on Water Color Paper

Heavy bodied, cumbersome and slow, the squat Porcupine is famous for his curious armor of quills. Each time he is caught unaware, the Porcupine instinctively contracts his skin muscles, erecting a frightening array of about 30,000 tiny spears. Bunched up, his tail raised, and his upright quills standing up to four inches long, the Porcupine threatens everything within his reach. Enemies who display the good sense to stay beyond his target area however, are quite safe. The Porcupine cannot shoot his quills. He lodges his yellowish-white spears in his enemy's flesh by striking at his assailant with his tail and body. His quills, which are sharp bristles fused together, detach easily when he makes contact. Tiny barbs cover the quills, making them difficult to remove, and the well-protected Porcupine immediately replaces lost quills with new growth. Even a newborn Porcupine displays these characteristic spears. The single infants, born in the spring, weigh about one pound and are covered with soft quills that quickly harden. Within fifteen minutes after birth, a young Porcupine can walk and lash his tail. In a few weeks he begins to climb trees, where a Porcupine spends more than half his life. The Vermont state tree, the Sugar Maple, is one of the Porcupine's favorite trees. He nibbles on the tree, and the scar he makes cuts off the tree's nourishment. Sugar accumulates above the wound, and the Porcupine instinctively takes his next meal from the tree just above his previous gash.

This art was originally published in the limited edition collection of philatelic proofcards issued by Fleetwood® and the National Audubon Society for the Wildlife of the 50 States.

Artwork Copyright © 1979 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): XB05812

US$ Price: Reg. $1,250.00 Today $625.00

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