Drawn the Road Again

Author: Chandler O’Leary

  • Boardwalk empire

    Boardwalk empire

    Even if the bitterly cold breeze weren’t enough of a clue, I’d know what time of year it was by the fact that the boardwalk was completely empty last week. While it would have been nice to see the Shore in its summer glory, winter gave me the best chance to see the whole (apparently…

  • Frozen & festive

    Frozen & festive

    I had to go back quite a few years to dig up this sketch—it’s been some time since I lived in a place where the new year meant a real, no-kidding winter. But no matter—I love changing the calendar no matter where I am. Whether you’re starting 2015 in an ice palace or a tropical…

  • Staycationland

    Staycationland

    What with moving into a new house and juggling a bunch of new studio projects this year, most of my sketching in 2014 was done pretty close to home. I have a feeling 2015 is going to be very different—several road trips are already on the calendar, and I’m making plans for others. Still, I’m…

  • Curtain call

    Curtain call

    I’m sad to report that one of my favorite holiday traditions came to an end this weekend. For the past thirty-plus years, the Pacific Northwest Ballet has staged a unique version of The Nutcracker—complete with unusual choreography, nontraditional storytelling, and incredible kinetic theatre sets by one of my illustration heroes, Maurice Sendak. I’ve seen the…

  • Rainbow colonnade

    Rainbow colonnade

    Remember when I said I’d always wanted to draw Denver’s city hall when it was all lit up for the holidays? Well, last holiday season I finally got my chance. And the place was even better than I remembered it as a kid—the very definition of merry and bright.

  • Mountain trimmings

    Mountain trimmings

    Posting here has been a little light lately, while I help make Christmas happen at home. But while there’s nothing quite like basking in the glow of your own tree, I also love traveling at the holidays—if only because I get to see how other places deck the halls, or experience different regional traditions. Best…

  • Book bonanza

    Book bonanza

    Bookstores are a big part of our annual holiday shopping rounds, and my two most sketch-able favorites are Powell’s in Portland— —and Elliott Bay in Seattle. Of course I’m probably going to love any indie bookstore, but both of these places have such inviting spaces that I could stay and sketch for a year. If…

  • Lumberjacks for a day

    Lumberjacks for a day

    Every year the Tailor and I go to the mountains with our friends to pick out and cut our own Christmas trees. Some people, when I tell them this, look at me like I have three heads and ask, “Why don’t you just go to a tree farm?” Well, sure, it’s more work (and a…

  • Decking the halls

    Decking the halls

    When we head to the mountains on Sunday to get our tree, the holiday decorating will officially begin. At our old house, most of our decorating focused on the mantel—since we don’t tend to go overboard with that sort of thing anyway, sometimes it was the only place that hinted at anything festive. At our…

  • Tea and cakes

    Tea and cakes

    Life seems to be going at a thousand miles an hour these days—between work and the season, it’s hard to find any sort of break. So when I came upon this sketch today, it reminded me to take a deep breath, looking forward to the next quiet moment.