After four daughters, Bertha Burchfield gave birth to a son, Charles Arthur, on June 1, 1929. As was customary at the time, his father was jubilant to have a son. Among his earliest impressions, Charles Burchfield associates his joy with the earth’s fecundity just after Summer Solstice:
Have just finished a new piece—a sunset in wind—sitting looking at it I wonder if I really knew I was doing it at the time—As I look I dream of the future—I see paintings before which people are so overcome they weep—
The full beauty of the dandelion is lost to the majority of people because of its infinite numbers.
A rainy morning – steady drip of rain, smoke straight up, blackbirds continuous calling faint warble of robin –
A hazy stagnant day of thunderclouds & a storm – (To Glens) – A dense fog in valley – turned yellow by sunset –Fields are full of dandelion seed heads...
Robins singing at first light. Sparrows. Later – Flickers call. Makes me think + Johnny Jump-ups.
Robin sings – excited shouts from boys, but the child’s plaintive voice transcends all sounds.
...the Beethoven 5th and the Sibelius 5th, will continue to grow in power and significance.
I wish with all my being sometimes that there were a powerful Being who would reach a helping hand out to me—one whom I could come weeping as I did to my mother when I was a boy, confess all my baseness, and be forgiven.
I feel the need of getting away to some secret place to think about God;