RAILROAD DINING, ART, AND CULTURE IN REVIEW BY JAMES D. PORTERFIELD Our Annual Survey of Railroad Artists


WITHOUT WANTING TO GET all “metaphysical” or “Zen” about it, the revival of the themed feature “Portraits of Railroading” in RAILFAN & RAILROAD, on pages 40-47 of this issue, completes a cycle of some sort. It was while working on the first of these features, for the February 2006 issue, that a common complaint arose from the artists being contacted to create it. They lamented the fact that railroad artists were one of the few categories of special-interest fine artists who were not represented by a professional association. “My God,” one artist remarked, “even the cowboy artists have a society!” (That’s true, by the way — go to http://cowboyartists ofamerica.com). Spring forward ten years. Today the American Society of Railway Artists, created just three years ago, has 68 members, 63 of them artists (take that, you 20 members of the Cowboy Artists of America). The group’s second annual exhibit is planned for later this year, as is at least one other juried exhibit. The membership list includes some of today’s best-known railroad artists, as well as numerous others working hard to equal that fame. And through the efforts of the Society, a number of creative applications of railroad art — which, along with model railroading, offers a unique opportunity to portray what the industry was once all about (as opposed to restoring some element of it) — are in the works. So it is fitting that each of the 12 artists


in this revival issue are members of the American Society of Railway Artists. That will not always be the case as the database of artists who portray railroading in some or all of their work includes 133 additional names and is growing. And it is fitting, too, that the theme of this “exhibit” of their work is titled “Electric Trains.” That is in part a response to another oft-heard lament, this time among railway heritage preservations of a certain persuasion. The good people who work to restore and interpret the history and impact of trolleys and interurbans feel overlooked by the mainstream. So it is that six of the 12 works presented here pay homage to those important pieces of railroad history. See, then, these brief introductions to the


artists in “Portraits of Railroading.” Their contact information, including a web address where you can find more of their work, is included. To learn more about the American Society of Railway Artists, visit its website (www.americansocietyofrailwayartists.com), where over 100 works of art can be found, and where you can link directly to each artist’s website as well. Sam Adams: A lifelong interest in railroads, inspired by both the drama and dynamic of a passing train and the melancholy created by a rusty, weed-grown sidetrack, produces Sam’s realistic style, one that emphasizes details in his primary subject. But he uses a distant, hazy quality for backgrounds to set the mood and stimulate the viewer’s imagination. Self- taught, Sam is also active in railway heritage preservation. (717/830-2359 or 717/262-4937,


samadams@pa.net) Gil Bennett: A graduate of the Art Department at the University of Utah, Gil has been a professional illustrator since 1984. Mentored by Howard Fogg and Ted Rose, he refers to himself as an “artistrator,” his term for that blend of artistic expression and technical detail found in his work. (www. gilbennett.com, 801/766-0198, gil@gilbennett. com)


Stewart Buck: A graduate of Iowa State University, with a Master’s Degree in Design. In addition to teaching high school art classes for 36 years, Stewart operates Streamliner Studio, a freelance art business. He has created dozens of commissions for the railroad industry and his images have been selected for book covers, greeting cards, calendars, brochures, and magazines. (stewartbuck.com, 515/494-0946, sbucko2@aol.com). George C. Clark: His figure, landscape,


and railroad paintings are found in permanent collections at the Illinois State Museums, the United States Air Force, the Kinsey Institute, and other institutional, corporate, and private collections. Railroad images have appeared in his on-site landscapes, but he only began depicting dedicated railroad scenes in a series titled Age of Iron in 2000 (see ageofironrailroadartbygeorgecclark.blogspot. com). (www.georgecclark.com, 773/539-8440, gcc@georgecclark.com) Mark Desobeau: A passion for railways


and painting, combined with a lifetime of railroad employment and the desire to paint the subject authentically, results in Mark’s original paintings. They are available as high-quality giclee-on-canvas reproductions and limited editions of prints on paper. He sees railways as dynamic, a quality that is a natural calling to artists. (www.artistoftherails.com, 801/394-4962, artistoftherails@earthlink.net) Ron Hatch: Self-taught, but trained in drafting and design, Ron has held jobs as an illustrator and in commercial technical illustration, residential drafting, and industrial design. He is noted for the technical accuracy of his railroad art. The majority of his works are in acrylic, and he produces few prints, with most work going directly to collectors and clients. (ronhatchart.com, 309/335-3755, knoxsta@comcast.com) Christopher Jenkins: Chris has worked


in the transportation industry for more than 33 years, making him very familiar with his subject matter. He uses traditional oil painting techniques and materials. His work has been selected for juried shows, appeared in galleries, museums, and other public venues, been included in various publications, even used on bank checks and jigsaw puzzles. (www.trainsshipsplanes.com, trainsshipsplanes@comcast.net) Steve Krueger: A 27-year veteran of


the Frisco, Burlington Northern, and BNSF railroads, Steve has also been an artist most of his life. His work completing commissions for railroads, other corporations, museums, and individuals has yielded recently to creating a series of whimsical works for


children. (www.trainartist.com, 920/246- 1162, spike317@aol.com) James Mann: Mann began his artistic


career as an architectural illustrator apprenticed to Edward Lehman in Pennsylvania. Following a few years as a freelance, he joined the planning and architectural offices at the University of Pennsylvania in 1976. There he worked until retirement in 2015. He is especially drawn to bursts of spontaneity and transparent light, which watercolor makes available. (www.jamesmannartfarm.com,


jrm@


jamesmannartfarm.com) Christian Oldham: A lawyer turned


railroad watercolorist, Chris lives in Seattle, and enjoys historical research. While he works to make his paintings accurate, he also strives to keep them closer to “art” than “illustration,” and enjoys the challenge of capturing light and movement in his work. His paintings often feature railroaders, as well as the texture and infrastructure that once surrounded railroad rights-of-way. (www.chrisoldhamart.com, 206/661-6212, cnoldham@gmail.com) Angela Trotta Thomas: America’s


premier toy train artist, Angela just celebrated her 25th anniversary as Lionel’s only licensed artist. Her art has graced the company’s catalog cover, miniature billboards, freight cars, and more. A fine artist as well, her work also appears on covers of numerous national magazines and catalogs, and has been exhibited in the Smithsonian and Everhart museums. (www.AngelaTrottaThomas.com, 570/510-0082, attart@aol.com) Richard Weddleton: Growing up near


the Lexington Branch of the Boston & Maine, Richard walked it and rode on it many times in the days of steam. Later, his work led him to many cities around the United States where, if he could find the time, he would explore, or ride restored trains from New Hampshire to Chicago to Colorado to San Diego. As a result, he has many photos to draw on for inspiration. (www.historictransportationart. com, 253/477-7544, rlweddleton@alum.met. edu)


A Query While on the subject of railroad art, this


from a reader in Colorado: “I’m looking for a print of a work by the late Canadian physician and railroad artist, William G. Hobbs. It is titled 40 Below, and was executed in the 1970s. I was about eight or nine years old then, and lived on the same street as Dr. Hobbs. I think I remember him painting it.” If you know the whereabouts of a Hobbs print by that name, let us know.


New on the Nightstand A fascination with railroad fiction,


another of the fine arts, is the result of this columnist’s hunger (to justify this entry in a column titled ON THE MENU) for information about what it was once like to work for the railroad. To that end, these three new titles are now bedside. E. S. Dellinger: Edward Semple


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