P.M.—painted the “Constant (or Stedfast [sic]) Leaf”—a tribute to an oak leaf that became anchored in Cottrell’s lawn in Nov. 1957, and stayed there upright through every storm—
Without the circumstantial challenge of discouragement the best in human character would never rise to achievement.
A fresh brilliant day. The sunlight falls beautifully on the deep rounded snow. The air sparkles –
P.M. Along Bottom Road to Egypt and Albany – near sundown – In the
shadowed Bottoms –
The January thaw. - Thick almost impenetrable fog - The pores of the earth seem to open and exude a chill dampness into the sodden air ...
It is a raw day, a fine snow driven by a bitter east wind. The sky above is like the interior of a vast pearl...
Moods to be gotten in designs –
(2) – The dragon-fly darting back & forth over a stream lined with yellow pond lilies – it is noon at the summer solstice – not a breath of air stirs among the steaming vegetation – a dull booming sound comes from the depths of the earth which only serves to emphasize the profound silence –
The sky is flat grey; the houses dark & sunken in the snow; Smoke hovers out of the chimney tops which look like black eyes. The great white gloom of the southeast hovers over the stupefied earth –
At sundown a pale smooth cold blue – grey bank of cloud came up out of the west – it hung like there like a phantom – the houses seemed to shrink – at midnight a heavy snow is falling
A walk at night in the snow deep fields – the black zenith starred a remote cheerless [sky] with far away houses against the horizon – a haze on the air...