Field Trip to the Illinois Railway Museum

George C. Clark sketching with high school art students and their teacher  at the Illinois Railway Museum yesterday morning.  (photos by Pat Clark)

My friend Ray at the Illinois Railway Museum said he had two busloads of high school art and photography students from Crystal Lake coming to the museum on a field trip and asked if I would be interested in coming out to do a little demonstration and talk to them.  I said I'd be glad to do it and Pat and I drove out yesterday on a cool and rainy morning.  Their teachers introduced the handful of students who were into "traditional art" as opposed to photography and I gave them a little talk about the art I do and sent them off to explore and sketch or photograph while I set to work.  They came back after an hour and a half, and in the photos above I'm showing them my drawing and talking about materials and techniques and working methods.  Some of them were too shy to say much, but I could tell from the interest and questions of others that some at least have the potential to become artists.  It made me feel good about an education system that in too many places seems plagued with problems and inadequacies.