This year, I started assembling my Curio Folio, its a collection of real-life oddities that you have never seen or heard of before. Adding to the authenticity of the series, I provide original watercolour paintings in lieu of photographic evidence which is often not possible for various reasons. On a recent trip by train to Toronto, I had the fortune of sitting in seat 11A which is considered to be the luckiest seat on an airplane because people who sit in seat 11A will often survive crashes. So I was feeling pretty good until I saw this train gremlin clinging to the outside of the train. Its one eye was hanging out, it had a dopey smile on its face, and it was holding a screwdriver which did not bode well for the safety of the train. I called over the train attendant who took a quick look but the gremlin had popped its head below the window. Patiently, I waited until I could take some photos with my smartphone camera, and then, I actually showed the photos to the attendant who quietly told me not to worry or say anything, and then proceeded to delete the pics off my phone. Since photos clearly weren't allowed, I did this watercolour painting, and would you believe it, the darn thing posed for me with its screwdriver the whole time. Later, I caught a glimpse of the train attendant reaching out of the emergency door with a large net, like for fishing, but I don't know if they ever caught the thing. In the end, lucky number 11A held up and we made it to Toronto Union station on time, with only a few screws loose.
Curio Folio: Train Gremlin, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, July 2025
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