RSW's Diary Comments

Waiting For Spring, (Oil) Sepia

"Painted April 1947. My little window again, back of the easel again, painted in the spring but with snow on the landscape and decking the apple trees. The big studio apple tree trunk very prominent in the center of the window outside with a snow blanket on it. A paper white narcissus in a pinky lavender bowl at the left of the window sill with books, the lavender bottle, and little glass dish. At the right an open book, low candlestick, small dark green glass and glass bird. A much admired canvas. Rec'd 2nd prize by popular vote at Deerfield Valley Art Assoc. in Old Deerfield, 1947. Sold in April 1948, to the Grand Central Art Galleries of New York for their 1948 Founders Show, in the fall, to a Mr. Ewald of Detroit, Michigan."

The glass bird still remains in the artist's studio.

Waiting for Spring was awarded "Second Most Popular Picture" at the 1947 Deerfield Valley Art Association (DVAA) exhibition. This would be Woodward's third second prize award in his career. The other two being June Corn, in 1937 at the Albany NY Institute of History & Art, and New England Heritage at the 1932 Boston Art Club. The great honor of the award at the Boston Art Club is boosted by taking second to a portrait painting, the most popular art form of the era.


For some context, Woodward won 20 total prizes in his 37 year career, eight of which were either first overall prizes or the top prize in a particular category, such as portrait, landscape or still life.

The fact that this painting was also purchased by the Grand Central Art Galleries (GCAG) in New York City for their Founders' Day exhibition (1948) adds to the honor associated with this painting. The Founders' Day event was the annual fund raising campaign by which the gallery bought the top paintings from their stable of artist to resell with the proceeds going to support the art school and other programs.