Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967), Song of the Bobolink, 1952-59; watercolor on paper, 26 1/4 x 38 3/4 inches; Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids , Michigan, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David D. Hunting, 1962
To the country S.E. of E. Aurora painting –
A warm windy day with misty clouds, and pale sunshine.
Stop at Williston Corners, for hot mustard –
Out Route 20A to (Dutch) Hollow Rd. A pleasant valley. Stop to visit a woods I had seen several years ago, in which [there] was a pleasant winding stream. Hardly had I started when I heard a man yelling. It seemed to come from a hillside back a piece, where I had noticed a farmer with a tractor [disking] a field. Not sure of it, I proceeded a bit further, and the yells grew louder and there was no mistaking the fact that they were directed at me. So I came out and walked down the road and waited for him to come down the furrow.
“Were you hollering at me” I asked in my best conversational tune.
“Yeah! I wanted to know what the hell you were going to do in that woods”
So I explained my purpose, and he rejoined with a violent harangue about being pestered by city picnickers – 50 last Sunday and they broke down fences etc. etc. – the familiar story of marauders from the city who blindly assume they have a right to go on a farmers land, destroy property and litter it with picnic debris – of course he was absolutely justified in his disgust and anger. However I soothed him as best I could, and he reluctantly said I could go on and “take pictures” if I wished.
And so I went in – but somehow the joy was partially taken away. However, I took a stroll thru the woods and along the winding stream – A hawthorn in full bloom – rich heady odor, especially when I stood in the lea of it and let the wind blow in my face from off it. A colony of Robin’s plantain and a few iris.
When I approached the road, I saw the farmer up at the fields and apparently waiting – so I made an ostentatious job of climbing under the wire fence, and as I passed opposite him I waved cheerily and he waved back.
There now followed a distressing ride up one road and down another looking for a likely spot to do a bobolink picture – I wanted dandelions in seed, a meadow, and some trees under which I could park the car. Eventually after much driving I found such a place on the Hunter’s Creek Rd, just south of the Weed Hill Road – two maples – by the road.
First I ate my lunch, then sat awhile. – Then set up my easel, anchoring it in as many ways as I could, as the wind had become quite hard. The wind somewhat annoying, but without it, I would not have felt the right mood. Many tent-caterpillars around, & they were constantly crawling up my ropes and also on to the paper.
Charles E. Burchfield, June 6, 1952