Building America

This watercolor captures a passing Union Pacific freight car along Winona Avenue in Warsaw, Indiana, where the railroad’s familiar slogan—“Building America”—shares space with a vibrant layer of contemporary graffiti. I was drawn to the contrast between the corporate message, the industrial geometry of the railcar, and the spontaneous creativity painted across its surface.

The clear blue sky and bright yellow car create a sense of openness and movement, while the graffiti transforms a mass-produced object into something personal and temporary. For me, railroad cars are moving canvases, carrying stories, identities, and traces of the communities they pass through.

In this piece, I explore the intersection of industry and self-expression, finding beauty in the unexpected ways people leave their mark on the everyday landscape. What began as a freight car became a study of color, contrast, and the layered narratives that travel America’s rails.