Charles E. Burchfield

Happy Birthday Charles Burchfield!! Born in Ohio in 1893, Burchfield was a watercolorist. He used color in a way similar to the Fauves (Fauves means wild beasts and is a branch of Impressionists who used brilliant, expressive color). He was in the army for a time and was assigned to camouflage, so worked his painting technique into disguising trucks and tanks! He sketched and painted constantly, especially during the years 1915-1917. He also wrote about his nature fantasies, thinking back to a time when gods and spirits were visible to man. He once said, "An artist must paint not what he sees in nature, but what is there. To do so he must invent symbols, which, if properly used, make his work seem even more real than what is in front of him." The night scene pictured below, Orion in December, demonstrates his use of symbol and shorthand for nature.