Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967), The Four Seasons, 1949-1960; watercolor on joined paper mounted on board, 55 7/8 X 47 7/8 inches; Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Festival of Arts Purchase Fund 1961-2-1
Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, April 17, 1950
Sunday, Apr 17, 2022
To the “Big Woods” – Morning cloudy & with rain at times – cool.
The usual walk in the woods before lunch; again a fine North feeling, and I decided to try for the lynx mood, choosing the eastern part of the woods, with its hollow & heavily wooded mound beyond. I took all my paraphernalia up before lunch.
Soon at work; as the afternoon progressed, the clouds began to separate and thin out, – first a patch of wonderful blue gleaming thru the trees to the north; then half sun-shine in the south west, and finally the full clear sunlight. I kept to my grim grey-day mood with difficulty.
At times the harsh screams of a hawk, which I tried without success to visualize & put in my picture; and of course the crows, songsparrows, robins & nuthatches. At late afternoon a strange bird-son, probably a warbler. What beauty he imparted to the great silent woods; unseen, a mysterious visitor….
After I had finished painting I got several baskets of earth, & then ate my lunch.
Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, April 17, 1950