Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967), Butterfly and Poppies (Also known as Oriental Poppies and Swallowtail Butterfly), 1950 - 1966; watercolor and pencil on paper, 27 15/16 x 21 15/16 inches; Palmer Museum of Art, The Pennsylvania State University, Gift of James and Barbara Palmer, Image courtesy of the Charles E. Burchfield Archives
Charles Burchfield, Journals, May 28, 1946
Thursday, May 28, 2015
To Genesee & Sharp St. Roads country sketching –
First to 18 Mile Creek for further search for blue-bells.
No success.
South out road leading SE from Water Valley –
To N. Collins for citronella-
To Genesee Road and east to Sharp St.
A brief look at the bog, then back to the woods at the junction of the two roads.
(Had lunched on a hill above the Springville-Boston Road. Sketch of boulder.)
Wandering around in woods in search of subject. I seemed completely bereft of ideas. Then a bright new “copper” butterfly attracted me to a spot where there were wild strawberries in bloom around some rocks. I chose these as a subject with a woods in back.
Hard at work all afternoon. Bluebirds – A great herd of cows drift by. The Scarlet Tanager (his ch-p durr- call). His color incredible – Later his song – something like a Baltimore Oriole, or a Robin, but blurred.
The farmer & his dog driving cows to barn.
Evening – digging white violets (Canada violets) Daisy Fleabane in Robin’s Plantain & pure light green Jack-In-The-Pulpit.
After “supper” – walk down old railroad bed in the horizon sunlight. Cool. Peepers & toads from ponds. The long dry spell put off their breeding until now.
Charles Burchfield, May 28, 1946