Rockwell Kent "Wilderness" Centennial Journal

ROCKWELL KENT WILDERNESS CENTENNIAL JOURNAL 100 YEARS LATER by Doug Capra © 2018 Part 3 - New Year’s Eve 1918 NOTE -- Beginning in late July 1918 as Kent headed west with Rockie toward Alaska, the days grew shorter. By the time he settled on Fox Island in late August, the daily light loss became more noticeable, especially with the rain and cloud cover. Through November and December, while Kent experienced his depression and nightmares, the shortest day of the year approached. He struggled to paint due to the darkness, focusing his artistic energies composing black and white sketches and pen and inks by candle light inside the cabin. He did experience a few sunny days and took advantage of them painting outside – but the sun moved so quickly as it set behind the Aialik Peninsula that he had to work deliberately and quickly.  Now – in early January -- we’re gaining more that 2 ½ minutes of light a day. By February we’ll add more than 30 minutes a week. As I wr...

ROCKWELL KENT WILDERNESS CENTENNIAL JOURNAL 100 YEARS LATER by Doug Capra © 2018 Part 2 -- New Year’s Eve 1918 It is Tuesday, December. 31, 1918 New Year’s Eve on Fox Island The hour has come and gone in New York City It is also the Tenth Anniversary of Rockwell and Kathleen’s Marriage “It has rained most of the day,” Kent writes in Wilderness . The rain has melted most of the snow and it is so mild that he has to keep his cabin door open and the stoves on low. “To-night is as warm as any night in spring or autumn,” he observes. As Kent works, he constantly looks out for a steamer to pass the island on its way to Seward with the mail. This isolation, this lack of communication, is torture to him. It’s been weeks since he wrote those two soul-searching and introspective letters to Kathleen and mailed them to his friend Carl Zigrosser to give to his wife on New Year’s Eve. He sent them off while he was in Seward between Nov. 30 th and Dec. 4 th . He ...