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.
This journal page covers February 19, 1959, and February 19, 1960. In his entry for February 19, 1959, which occupies the top and bottom thirds of the page, Indiana records visiting Lenore Tawney, and starting a small ginkgo painting, using the canvas that he had purchased at New York Central Art Supply. He includes a small sketch of the work, noting its current colors, white on blue, which he was planning to change to green on blue. Indiana also writes that he received his first direct public snub from Ellsworth Kelly, who ignored his presence while they were both dining out (likely at the Seamen's Church Institute), "sitting at another table but an aisle away but out-of-sight and behind a post."
Indiana also details a call with artist Jim Harvey, recording that he told him about Bob Keyser, of the Parma Gallery, visiting his studio (on February 4), and shared his thoughts on finding a gallery. He writes that Harvey's advice was "of the old-fashioned variety . . . start from the very bottom (Roko) and work up (via Whitney, Modern)—but not particularly the Parma: at least not at this point in the game."
In his journal entry for February 19, 1960, which occupies the center of the page, Indiana records that he had a small class in Scarsdale (at the Scarsdale Studio Workshop, where he taught art classes) due to an error in the brochure. He writes that it was "too bad" as he had divided the room and set up two still lifes. Indiana also notes a call from Harvey, who relayed he had a new apartment on St. Mark's Place, and bumping into artist Norman Turner on a subway platform.