Gordon Barrick
The Artist and His Work
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The following excerpts discuss Gordon Barrick's invention and use of the "Winter Box".
The Winter Box was a heated, enclosed box mounted atop an easel that would help keep the artist's hands warm during long winter outdoor painting sessions.
Many of Gordon Barrick's winter landscapes were painted using the Winter Box.
The illustrations to the right were published with the original article. The other photo of Gordon Barrick and his Winter Box was also published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
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By Roelif Loveland (Staff Writer) with illustrations by Fred Reinert (Editorial Art Department)
But what about the artist who goes out on dreary winter days to follow his profession?
Why doesn't some artist paint a picture of an artist who is painting a picture in zero weather?
In this connection, may I refer again to Artist Barrick not only because he paints the kind of pictures I should like to have, but because he is a practical man in addition.
In a way he is a pioneer in winter painting in comfort.
"It would be much easier" Barrick said to himself one cold winter day as he went shivering home, carrying his easel, stool and portfolio, "It would be much easier if one could sit back in his studio and paint cotton make it look like snow. But this can't be done. You have to go out and see it and stay with it until you get it down on canvas or paper. But it's absurd to freeze like this."
Then suddenly, as he went crunching along, Mr. Barrick had an inspiration. "I'll make a large glass-covered box to work in," said Mr. Barrick, "and I'll heat it with an oil burner"
He went home and built his box. A very novel box it was, too, with a thick glass top, and an oil burner inside it.
One side of the box was constructed of heavy fabric, and this had two armholes in it, and there was enough loose materials in this side of the box so that he could move his arms freely.
It was three years ago that Barrick made his invention, and he has painted in comfort (as far as his hands are concerned) ever since.
His feet still get cold, but a man has to be prepared to suffer somewhat for art.
The first time he took out his invention he turned the burner up too high, and the glass got very warm. A thwarted Providence, seeing a painter painting in comfort, turned on the snow which fell on the hot glass top of Mr. Barrick's painting box ... and the glass cracked.
But it has been repaired, and it never has cracked again.
By the use of this device Barrick has discovered that he is able to do finer work with water colors in winter than in summer. In summer the colors dry too quickly, and in winter, without the box, the freeze. With the box they neither freeze nor dry too rapidly.
The question of dressing for a winter sketching trip is a big one. Frankly, shorts aren't warm enough.
When Barrick goes forth to paint in zero temperatures he wears what any civilized man would wear to work plus another suit of long wooly underwear; another pair of long lumberjack's socks; a second pair of trousers (this one corduroy); a couple of sweaters; an additional coat; a stocking cap which goes over his ears; a cap which covers the top of the stocking cap; and last, but highly important, a pair of four-buckle artics.
From time to time startled rabbits peer from behind shrubs and watch with fascination a greatly bundled figure who is jumping around at a great rate, slapping his arms against his sides and puffing like the Betsy Ann, starting up the Ohio.
Sometimes they will be able to see only his eyes -- the rest of his face will be covered with a woolen helmet.
Take a tip, little rabbits. That will be Gordon Barrick. And when a guy goes to that pains to paint snow that looks like snow through the paradoxical expedient of painting everything else but the snow, he doesn't want to be annoyed by a lot of dizzy rabbits.
Back to your holes, lads, or -- if you must watch -- just peep around the corners. As soon as he gets the blood moving he'll go back to his box.
The full text of this article may be viewed here.
