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
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