Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967), March Wind, 1926; watercolor, 37 1/2 x 50 1/4 inches; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1928
Charles Burchfield, Journals, March 24, 1924
Thursday, Mar 26, 2015
March skies have come – Today at noon the first cumulus clouds of the year loomed upwards towards the sun startling white topped with black trees against them – an hour later, and a great soft warm yellow gray blanket from the west comes to spread over the sky, the cumulus fleet sinking in the east
Yesterday to the harbor sketching – a brisk sunny cold day with sailing clouds- first sketch two ice-bound boats – but few gulls around. I finish soon after the fishermen depart for their homes. I find a place along the canal underneath a coal-loading place to eat my lunch – “prattle” of sparrows and plaintive cries of gulls- the harbor looks romantic in the chilly sunshine.
Down along the canal in search of material – finally at sunset time after zigzag trip thru some lines of freight oars, I find a sketch and seat myself on top of a small flat boat – a great happiness came over me – I felt at home.
Charles Burchfield, March 24, 1924