Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967), Maples- North of Little Valley, 1955; Watercolor on paper, 40 x 30 inches; Images from the Burchfield Penney Art Center Archives
To the Big woods – painting —
A bright sunny day with cool wind from the south — wander a bit in the woods to try & find a subject but without avail — Walk up to rail-fence for studies — Saw a pair of blue-birds but could not get a real view of them – to see the color, that is. Eat lunch – then decide to do a painting of the view to the south, over the hillside —
Afterwards, restless and dissatisfied with myself, I drive around awhile, trying to think of a place to eat my evening lunch, then remembered the hill-top near the Big Maples just N.W. of Springville – Thither I went – parking so as to face west. By now, vague misty clouds had arisen in the west in which the lowering sun soon became a dim glow, then vanished before reaching the horizon – a sweetly melancholy light afterwards sifted down over the damp woods before me.
Charles E. Burchfield, March 27, 1951