Robert Indiana kept a series of illustrated journals during the late 1950s and 1960s, in which he discusses the development of his work as well as his daily life on Coenties Slip.

Indiana's journal entry for April 27, 1962, includes a sketch of the sculpture Cuba, along with notes indicating its medium (wood, iron, gesso and oil) and dimensions (44 1/2 x 12 3/4 inches). The page also includes a sketch of a detail from the verso of the work, with a note recording the addition of red to the white around the star. Discussing his work, Indiana records that he called Lenore Tawney, asking her to check her unabridged dictionary for the colors of Cuba's flag, and that it "became official today" when he added red to the white letters that he had put at the bottom yesterday.

Indiana also notes that he worked on his construction Marine Works, adding another coat of red to its letters.