Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

62.               April  23, 1935 –

I wish I had recorded in full, the various trips I have made to the harbor to work on my painting of the two drawbridges on the Buffalo Creek, used by the nickel-plate, the Erie & the N.Y.C. It was sometime about the middle of March. I “discovered” these bridges when returning to Seneca St. after a day working on my “Three Boats in Winter” in January 1933. The time never seemed ripe to do them, however, until this year. I had made one trip in to reconnoitre, received a new thrill. Then an attack of lumbago, with its attendant gloom and inactivity intervened; at last I felt equal to the task, and went in. What a delight – what a joy-! The subject over–powered me, I fell in love with it, and a great happiness came over me. It was difficult working, but I rejoiced in all the handicaps – the ground was not settled yet, and where I stood was sand; which was like quick–sand; my feet sank in, and I had difficulty with–drawing them. One of the workers on the bridge, seeing my trouble, went and got me two box–ends to stand on. Then there was the wind from the south-west, a strong gusty