Charles E. Burchfield, JournalsNovember 12, 1963

Cold, partly cloudy & sunny day – rain & sleet at times –

In studio, got to work on a new picture. It grew out of a note made quite a few years ago, an idea that came to mind on hearing the opening bars of the Sibelius Fifth Symphony (The Horn Call)

However it developed into an entirely [new] idea – namely a storm day in late autumn – the key to the idea being a black jagged stump surrounded by the blood red leaves of a swamp maple—as if they were the last glowing embers of the fires of autumn – (at present my title for it is indeed “The Dying Embers of Autumn.”) From a storm sky white clouds scatter snowflakes to Earth— At the left is a white birch with rich yellow leaves, some of them flying across the sky and earth.

The work did not go as fast as I had expected, most of the morning being taken up with getting the composition in order. At the end of the afternoon it seemed pretty much unresolved; I brought it into the house nevertheless to show Bertha and study it.

Now, after an evening of contemplation, it seems to have possibilities, and I am anxious to work on it tomorrow. The elements are there—they need only to be knit together–

Bedtime music – Mozart’s Divertimento #17.

Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, November 12, 1963