Blog

Share it!

The road goes ever on and on

Mission San Juan Capistrano photo by Chandler O'Leary

I just got back from over a month of traveling—first by way of a road trip to the bottom of California and back, and immediately afterward, a one-way Florida-to-Washington drive with a friend. In 33 days I logged well over 8,000 miles, and crossed several vastly different regions of the country. So even with the help of my trusty sketchbooks, my memories of the trip aren’t terribly linear. They’re more of a jumble of images flashing through my mind—so in that spirit, here is a similar jumble of images.

Grave Creek Bridge photo by Chandler O'Leary Bixby Creek Bridge photo by Chandler O'Leary Elephant seal pups photo by Chandler O'Leary Weeki Watchee mermaid photo by Chandler O'Leary Ybor City tile photo by Chandler O'Leary Solvang windmill photo by Chandler O'LearyPalm Springs photo by Chandler O'Leary Mt. Shasta photo and sketch by Chandler O'Leary Mt. Rainier aerial photo by Chandler O'Leary St. Roch's Cemetery photo by Chandler O'Leary Mission San Francisco Solano photo by Chandler O'Leary Shields Date Garden photo by Chandler O'Leary Mobile, Alabama photo by Chandler O'Leary Beltane Ranch photo by Chandler O'Leary Pt. Bolivar lighthouse photo by Chandler O'Leary Tucson photo by Chandler O'Leary Saguaro National Park photo by Chandler O'Leary Saguaro National Park sketch by Chandler O'Leary Sausalito house boats photo by Chandler O'Leary San Antonio Riverwalk photo by Chandler O'Leary Alamo photo by Chandler O'Leary Texas flag photo by Chandler O'Leary Marfa photo and sketch by Chandler O'Leary Laguna Beach photo by Chandler O'Leary New Orleans photo by Chandler O'Leary

Now that I’m back in the studio, I’m trying hard to get my momentum back on my ongoing projects—and to suppress (for a little while, at least) the ideas that are coming as thick and fast as the images in my memory. We’ll see how long I last before some new project (or twelve) comes out of this trip…

Share it!

The miracle worker

Photo by Chandler O'Leary

This is my friend Carl.

Photo by Chandler O'Leary

He’s a wood engraver extraordinaire—

Photo by Chandler O'Leary

—and his West Seattle letterpress studio is a thing of beauty.

Photo by Chandler O'Leary

He does lovely, painstaking work (those are his engravings on the wall there), and he runs a tight ship at that studio of his.

Photo by Chandler O'Leary

Which is why my friend Mary-Alice called on Carl when she picked up a vintage Adana flatbed press, and wanted help whipping it into shape. She and her husband were planning to bring the press to West Seattle yesterday. I’d never seen an Adana in action before (I’m more of a Vandercook gal myself), so I asked to tag along.

Photo by Chandler O'Leary

Carl was more than ready for us.

Photo by Chandler O'Leary

He gave the press a quick once-over. “I think you’re getting off too easy, Mary-Alice,” he said. “There aren’t even any spiders under here!”

Photo by Chandler O'Leary

A few drops of oil,

Photo by Chandler O'Leary

some careful adjustments,

Photo by Chandler O'Leary

one of Carl’s own engravings to use as a test,

Photo by Chandler O'Leary

and a little text M-A set from his massive collection of type—and all of a sudden the Adana was print-ready.

Photo by Chandler O'Leary

Carl even broke out the fancy handmade paper—”This is an important occasion!” he said.

Photo by Chandler O'Leary

Pretty darn good results, if you ask me. Carl made us all sign the finished broadside. (Mariners pencil for the win!)

“How come I get to sign?” I asked, confused.

Carl chuckled and said, “You documented the occasion. Sign it!”

Aye, aye, Captain!

Share it!

Got it covered

Erik Hanberg sketch and "Lead Cloak" book cover by Chandler O'Leary

It’s funny how totally different projects can converge into a single theme. This summer and fall I’ve found myself to be doing a whole bunch of similar commissions for completely different clients. The theme this time? Book covers.

First up is Erik Hanberg, who is not only the tech genius behind my new travel blog, but also Tacoma’s own Parks Commissioner and a fabulously talented writer. Erik has just finished his latest novel, The Lead Cloak—one of the best parts of being asked to illustrate the cover was that I got to be one of the very first to read the book. (It’s a page-turner!) This design was a departure for me again, because I got to mix a very graphic, slightly abstract sci-fi style with a more painterly background. It ended up being an uneasy combination, which we both loved—because it matches the tension and unease of the book. (If you want more details than that, you’ll have to pick up your copy at the book launch tomorrow!)

"Bone Voyage" book cover designed by Chandler O'Leary

Next is a how-to travel book by my friend Mary-Alice, author of the wildly popular blog, Dog Jaunt. M-A is the hands-down expert on how to bring your pup along on your adventures, and she’s written what I think is the Bible of pet-travel advice. This was a fun project for me because (for once!) I got to design something clean, spare, and simple—and indulge in some serious punnage. And as an added bonus, M-A let me redesign the look of the Dog Jaunt blog to match—woot! (I mean…woof!)

"DiscoverE" magazine cover illustration by Chandler O'Leary

Last, but never least, is the magazine cover I was asked to illustrate for Eastern Washington University. From beginning to end, this project was an absolute joy—because I was able to do exactly what I would do if I were standing at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge with a sketchbook in hand. My art director was inspired by the sketches I was posting on Drawn the Road Again, and asked me to replicate the style for the magazine.

"DiscoverE" magazine illustration by Chandler O'Leary

Now all that’s left for me to do is to visit the place in person—and start filling the ol’ sketchbook.