Toy Train c. 1940

Robert Clark's "Toy Train" emerges as a memory sketched in watercolor and graphite, a delicate rendering of play. I can imagine Clark studying his subject, the red train, and its carriages with their rusted edges. Look closely and you’ll see each mark carefully placed, building form and shadow. The way the color has been applied communicates a love for the subject, a worn toy train, a child's favourite, with a history of adventures. The graphite lines add a subtle dimension, almost like a blueprint revealing the train's structure. It reminds me of other artists who find beauty in everyday objects. Clark here embraces the quiet, contemplative act of observation, transforming a simple toy into a study of form and memory. Each choice feels deliberate, a conversation between the artist, the object, and the medium. It's an intimate glimpse into Clark's world, a world where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. It is the kind of dialogue that fuels the creative process and which connects all artists.