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Goose step

Tacoma Wayzgoose photo by Chandler O'Leary

I only have a few photos of Wayzgoose to show you this year, because just manning my table had me so busy that I barely made it outside all weekend. I think making it a two-day event gave us a record-breaking attendance, and the weather came through to allow the steamroller artists to shine.

Tacoma Wayzgoose photo by Chandler O'Leary

So I’ll just leave you with a few snippets of the weekend’s highlights,

Tacoma Wayzgoose photo by Chandler O'Leary

and hopefully tempt you to come and see us next year!

Tacoma Wayzgoose photo by Chandler O'Leary

Many thanks to the fabulous artists and printers who make Wayzgoose the best arts event in Tacoma (not that I’m biased or anything…); to King’s Books and the Tacoma Arts Commission for making it possible; and to our founder Jessica Spring and her crew of volunteers for running a tight ship.

Tacoma Wayzgoose photos by Chandler O'Leary

Most of all, thank you to the many hundreds of lovely Tacomans (and Seattleites! And Portlanders, too!) who come to show their support for what we do. My favorite part of Wayzgoose is how every year it reminds me just how much I love my city, and the people in it.

See you next year!

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Goose-ified

Tacoma Wayzgoose photos by Chandler O'Leary

We’re ready for the Wayzgoose tomorrow—are you?

Anagram Press products by Chandler O'Leary

I’ve got a whole host of new paper goods ready to show you (look for some of them online next week), and you’ll find them at my Wayzgoose table this weekend. So if you’re local, strap on your printing apron and come on by for the biggest print event of the year.

See you there!

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Get ready to rumble

Tacoma Wayzgoose photos by Chandler O'Leary

It’s that time of year again—the annual Tacoma Wayzgoose (our local letterpress and book arts extravaganza) is just around the corner! This will be the eleventh year of the event, and we’re expecting a record crowd. Because attendance has grown so much over the years, we’re expanding to meet the demand. For the first time ever, Wayzgoose will now be a two-day event, with artist vendors and steamroller printing on both days:

11th Annual Tacoma Wayzgoose
Saturday and Sunday, April 25-26, 2015
11 am to 4 pm, Free!
King’s Books
218 St. Helens Avenue, Tacoma, WA

Jessica and I are sitting out the steamroller printing this year, to give more newbies a chance to play, but we will both have tables inside. So make sure to stop by and say howdy, and see all the new goodies we’ll have there!

As always, I like to give a run-down Wayzgeese Past—and the list is getting mighty long! So if you’re new here and don’t know what a Wayzgoose is, or you just want to relive the glory days, here are my posts from previous years:

2009 (Tacoma)
2010 (Tacoma)
2011 (Tacoma)
2011 (San Francisco)
2012 (Tacoma)
2013 (Tacoma)
2014 (Tacoma)

All fired up? Good. See you this weekend!

The Tacoma Wayzgoose is a collaboration between King’s Books and Springtide Press with support from the Tacoma Arts Commission. Steamroller Printing is possible through a partnership with neighboring businesses Doyle’s Public House, the Harmon Tap Room, and The Hub. Many thanks to legions of volunteers who make this event possible, especially from our local institutions including Pacific Lutheran University, University of Puget Sound, Charles Wright Academy, Stadium High School and Tacoma Community College.

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Seattle smash

SVC Wayzgoose photo by Chandler O'Leary

Friday was the perfect day to get outside and invade South Lake Union with a bunch of crazy letterpress shenanigans.

SLU Block Party photo by Chandler O'Leary

For the first time, the SVC Wayzgoose was wrapped up within the South Lake Union Block Party—so some changes were in order this year. For one thing, it meant a bigger crowd and a wider audience—all good things, if you ask me.

SLU Block Party photo by Chandler O'Leary

Also, there were provisions nearby!

Anagram Press booth photo by Chandler O'Leary

Thanks to the Block Party folks, I also got to expand my operations from a small table into a full ten-foot booth—which felt positively luxurious!

SVC Wayzgoose photo by Chandler O'Leary

So yeah. Between the perfect summer weather and the friendly, enthusiastic crowd…

SVC Wayzgoose photo by Chandler O'Leary

…I think we have a winner.

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New kids on the block (party)

Temporary tattoos illustrated by Chandler O'Leary

I’m spending today packaging goodies and bagging prints, because tomorrow I’ll be hanging out at the annual SVC Wayzgoose in Seattle. Since SVC is in the process of moving into new digs, this year we’re doing things a little differently: for the first time, the Wayzgoose is wrapped up into the South Lake Union Block Party. We’ll be taking over a hunk of pavement near 9th and John, where SVC will be hosting artist booths, printing demos, and their annual Steamroller Smackdown. Here are the details:

SVC Wayzgoose (South Lake Union Block Party)
Friday, August 8, 2014
12-6 pm, free!
Near the corner of 9th and John (on the edge of Denny Park)
Find me at the Anagram Press booth (#71, in the Wayzgoose section)
More details and map here

See you tomorrow!

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Water off a goose’s back

Tacoma Wayzgoose photo by Chandler O'Leary

Don’t be distracted by Ric’s smile—see the puddles everywhere? See the winter gear people are wearing? Sunday was the craziest Wayzgoose yet, hands down. That’s because we had both the biggest crowd ever and the worst weather imaginable. So that smile is one of triumph: getting a decent steamroller print that day required beating some serious odds.

Tacoma Wayzgoose photo by Chandler O'Leary

It rained sideways while Jessica inked.

Linoleum block for "Park Place" steamroller print by Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring

It hailed while we lined up our block.

Tacoma Wayzgoose

Photo by Dr. Jamie Brooks

It froze while we peeled our prints up.

Detail of "Park Place" steamroller print by Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring

Photo by Dr. Jamie Brooks

It blew a gale while I painted.

"Park Place" steamroller print by Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring

Still, despite the mishaps, I think it turned out alright. Jessica and I are calling our print “Park Place”—created in gratitude over the passage of a bond that would fund our city park system. The map in the center shows most of Tacoma’s parks, with twelve of our favorites called out like properties on a Monopoly board.

Tacoma Wayzgoose photo by Chandler O'Leary

We even took a snippet of the illustration and sent it over to the talented screenprinting booth folks, who turned it into a t-shirt design during the event (you can just see a peek of it in the upper left corner).

Steamroller prints from the Tacoma Wayzgoose in the Woolworth Windows

Since the rain and wind prevented us from hanging the finished prints outside during Wayzgoose, most of the people who came that day didn’t get to see anybody’s finished print. So today Ric, Jessica and I remedied that.

Steamroller prints from the Tacoma Wayzgoose in the Woolworth Windows

Thanks to Spaceworks Tacoma, all of this year’s steamroller prints are on exhibit in the Woolworth Windows downtown…

Steamroller prints from the Tacoma Wayzgoose in the Woolworth Windows

…where you can see them—in fair weather or foul—now through August 21.

Thanks to everyone who visited or volunteered at Wayzgoose this year, and to King’s Books and the Tacoma Arts Commission for making it all happen!

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Done and dusted

Linoleum carving photo by Chandler O'Leary

The carving is done, and we can’t wait to show you the finished product. See you at the Wayzgoose on Sunday!

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Version 10.0

In-progress carving of "Park Place" steamroller print by Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring

Here we are: year ten. Since the time Jessica Spring founded the Tacoma Wayzgoose all those years ago, it’s become one heckuva beast—and a veritable Tacoma institution.

So here are a few sneak peeks of the giant linoleum block Jessica and I are carving—and we’ll reveal all on Sunday:

10th Annual Tacoma Wayzgoose
Sunday, April 27, 2014
11 am to 4 pm, Free!
King’s Books
218 St. Helens Avenue, Tacoma, WA

In-progress carving of "Park Place" steamroller print by Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring

If you’re new here and don’t know what a Wayzgoose is, or you just want to relive the glory days of old, here are links to all the Wayzgeese (gooses?) I’ve been a part of:

2009 (Tacoma)
2010 (Tacoma)
2011 (Tacoma)
2011 (San Francisco)
2012 (Tacoma)
2013 (Tacoma)

Itching for more? Well, then, see you on Sunday!

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They clean up nice, don’t they?

Wayzgoose exhibit photo by Chandler O'Leary

Well, I only just realized that my only photo of last night’s opening (stupid phone!) was so out of focus, but oh well. It still gives you an idea of how nicely the Wayzgoose steamroller prints look on a gallery wall!

Thanks to everybody who made the trek down to Parkland last night for the shindig—and to Jessica Spring for organizing, curating and installing these beasts!

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Gallery ‘goose

"Art of the Wayzgoose" exhibition flyer featuring artwork by Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring

This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Tacoma Wayzgoose! The festival isn’t until the end of April, but we’re celebrating early with an exhibit of all the giant steamroller prints created over the years at the Pacific Lutheran University Gallery. It’s going to be a doozy!

And I’m honored to see that the artwork I created with Jessica Spring is gracing all the promo materials for the exhibit! (Thanks, PLU.) If you’re in the Seattle-Tacoma area this Wednesday, stop by for the opening, won’t you?

In the meantime, we’re about to get crackin’ on this year’s steamroller print…look for a teaser soon.