Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

on which latter cloud shadows would be casting fantastic shapes.; It was a terrifically hot day, which coupled with the fort that I had not slept well the night before, made the trip down rather tiresome. I had to stop at Olean, to buy a shirt (for I had forgotten to pack me and could not present myself at a hotel in the old shirt I was wearing).- ; I stopped at the high embankment (18 miles before camp.) where I ate my lunch on the previous trip) for today’s meal. After – wards I made a study of a house of part of the hill to the west, but I did not accomplish much.; I found I was not going to get the object of the trip so easily. There were few clouds to cast shadows to begin with, and I could not seem to find the right spot where the hills were at the right angle to the sunlight, and where a train would easily be visible. In a word – it was the memory of a great number of impressions I was hopelessly trying to find in a particular spot. I started making studies, however, and soon grew interested in that, and determined at least to gather as much material as possible in the two bridges picture. I spent the afternoon thus, growing fascinated with the effect of the boiling sunlight on the hills. ; At one spot I found a low swampy tract by the railroad, where were growing thoroughwort and scotch thistles, which had attracted many butterflies of various sorts. It seemed to be one of those places which have what the ancients called “genius loci” – at late afternoon I was to come back here and make a sketch. Then the sun had declined enough