Charles Burchfield, Journals, February 21, 1962

Four weeks from today – the first day of spring (so called) – But spring is already in evidence. The cardinal was singing again this morning – altho the sky is lightly overcast, the southern horizon glows with yellow – Even industrial sounds are different.

A.M. to studio – finished stretching paper for mounting drawings – then went through all the 1917 portfolios to determine which ones (mounted without margins) could have mats –

P.M. Studied a few pictures – made a drawing for the re-creation of the 1917 “Blizzard in the Woods” destroyed so many years ago. Then got to work seriously on a new picture based on a midnight sky observed (and drawn) exactly a year ago. It was a beautiful display of Sirius, Orion, and setting half-moon in the western sky. I think I shall call it “The Heavens Declare….” I am using, for a foreground, a landscape based on the 1936 “Over the Damn” – only in the new picture, the dam will be masses of rock, snow-covered, and the water instead of being light in a dark land, will be mysterious black, with star reflections.

Oddly enough, the star groupings gave me the most trouble – But by 4:00, it seemed satisfactory to me. Called John to discuss Mart’s pictures – we decided they should be just matted, no glass or frame. He will receive them there then call up Mrs. Malcom Smith, who has opened a new gallery at Greenwich, Conn. and have her come in to select some.

He said J.G. had called him on Monday – (He, J.G., said it was too expensive to come to N.Y. to look at them) – John said he had a hard time sorting out the drawings, he wanted so many himself. He finally released 28 to G. keeping all that have color in them. He mentioned as great favorites the 1922 “Dismantling a Church” the original study for “Winter”, and the 1922 pencil drawing (made at Ft. Erie) “Study of Trees”.

I called Mart then, telling her to measure all the water-colors for new mats to be made.

Bedtime music – “Christ lay in the bonds of Death” of Bach, and the first two movements of the Brahms 2^nd Piano Concerto.

Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, February 21, 1962