Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, December 1, 1962

December 1 – Saturday –

The same phenomenal weather –

In spite of a “not so good” night, I felt I must simply get out and paint something – it mattered little what – Bertha was enthusiastic over the prospect and after we had prepared lunch, and gathered all our gear and extra clothes into the car, we were on our way –

I did after all have something in mind – an open landscape with goldenrod, thistle or milkweed, looking s.w. – I recalled a good spot on the Trevett Rd., and hither we headed –

Arrived about noon – I picked out a simple subject where there were milkweed in profusion, and some goldenrod, with a thicket in the distance –

We ate our lunch with great enjoyment –

Then with Bertha’s aid, set up the easel, and soon was at work – For a long time I seemed to be getting nowhere – finally, in desperation, I went to the car and asked Bertha if she would come down and “look over my shoulder” – She replied that she could see even from the car that it was beautiful – nevertheless, she came down to where I was working and reaffirmed her opinion, that it was indeed beautiful. Thus reassured, I went ahead, and filled in the missing passages –

After we had dragged everything back to the car, and stowed it away; Bertha made tea – after which we set out for home – We took what we thought was an unfamiliar road – but which turned out to be Spaulding Rd. which ran into East Concord Rd. south of the Genesee Road – we drove to Rte 219 via Adams Rd – and took the Valley Road.

Stimulated by the afternoon’s intensive painting – I was especially attune to the beauty of the late afternoon effects of the sunlight earth, and Bertha along with me – we kept exclaiming all the way home – like two eager children – as I would like to think we are!

Evening music – Beethoven’s 2^nd Symphony and the “Ruins of Athens” music.

On our excursion to the country today, one of the odd things we noticed was that in numerous spots – facing north of course – there were scattered remnants of recent snow-fall – more than that, on streams, ponds, and roadside water, even at mid-afternoon, there were remnants of thin ice, in full sunlight – the temperature of the air in full sunlight must have been in the 60’s, yet the snow and ice did not melt – The earth is still relatively warm from the long summer build up – With the whole landscape bathed in warm sunshine, and the fields and woods blanketed with warm yellows, tans, and russet – there were these patches of snow, and ice – The oaks still have their leaves and add beautiful touches of rusty red-brown to the lavender of beeches and the violet grays of other trees.

Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, December 1, 1962