A fine brilliant cold morning – the sun shines from a vast watery blue sky – its reflection in a black-green writhing opening in the ice covered creek –
When out walking, I have a habit of going along with my head down, deep in thought (imaginary conversations or worries, or problems) ...
One day last week we went to see Walt Disney’s new photographic essay on Nature – “Secrets of Live” – which is one of his finest, revealing many hitherto (to me), unknown facts about seeds, and the propagation of fish. Of especial beauty for me, of course was the incident of showing hepaticas pushing up out of dead leaves, and growing into full bloom. Apparently such plants are never quite [quiet], but move to[o] slowly for us to see with the unaided eye. By speeding up the process, they were seen to sway back and forth as if in ecstasy. The speeded up picture of wild cucumber vines, made them apparent like serpents, swaying and writhing, looking for a place to fasten to.
I wonder if the wind was created by the sunshine - it came so surely from the direction of the sun... Every weed no matter how small, was surrounded by a patch of glittering frost-plinths, scattered from it by the wind. I am glad that I love such things.
Strange that I should have forgotten one of the trips most memorable events; while in the swamp I chanced to look across a smooth expanse of snow towards the sun, I was elated to see a million, intense red, blue, green & orange star-sparkles in the sun’s wake!
Tolstoy: "A friend is good; but Nature is better; She is a friend whom one does not lose even in death; for when one dies he is completely reunited with her”
Cold blustery weather – brilliant sunshine & clouds, alternating high wind –
In studio all day writing letters & studying the “Elevators” – Long letter to Rehn about the Albright meeting, and the Elevators; one to Louise about my N.Y. trip, a brief note to Chidsey, and the following letter to Seymour Knox
On my walk today, the spaces between freight cars appeal to me as being beautiful - and I rejoiced in the fact that the feeling of space between these crude objects seemed of vastly greater importance
Chilly, damp, overcast — listless fall of snow at times — All day in studio on “Late Winter Dawn.” The most important change is the addition of stars — It now seems to “hang together” better.