Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

22. and all the backyard buildings.

     Painted all day with vigor and forcefulness – at times snow fell, and towards the last, my sponge + water froze. What unalloyed happiness there is in working under such conditions! – “Battling the elements,” – the painting takes on a character it could not have under milder conditions.[i]

Dec. 7 – (Sunday)

     Cold and clear!

     p.m. Philharmonic Concert – In the intermission news of Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor (Hawaii). The Phillipines, Hong Kong etc – Impossible to take in its significance at once) –

     4:00 - to Bartholomeu’s to pick up Catherine, thence to Fredonia to get M, A + M, - (Sally + Cathie to play at Walther League convention at Eden.) –

     A fine sunset – the sun sinking behind long bars of golden clouds – it appeared as a huge elongated oval of blinding light; then again, as a series of such bars, quivering + swelling and contracting – At Fredonia, Venus above the houses with beautiful halo of light around it.

     The meeting both boring + tiring – A flippancy and utter lack of taste in the manner in which the toast-master introduced his speakers – Cathies + Sallys playing ( (n.d.) (n.d.) Jocelyn) + Rev. Neels speech only redeeming features.

     Afterwards, the moon high in the sky – a ring around it.[ii]

                   Dec. 8 – (Mon) –

     Sketches of Venus across Bengert’s, Millers + Hess’s, for a Christmas night picture –

     12:30 – Broadcast of Roosevelt’s call for war Declaration on Japan –

     p.m. B + I to Buffalo; later Cathie in on bus to buy her