Tag Archives: California

San Francisco print by Chandler O'Leary

S is for…

…well, yes.

But also…uh…Shameless Self-promotion. And very quietly, the Sigh of relief I’m breathing. Because at long, long last, after lots of technical difficulties and a whole bunch of back-end work, my Souvenir Shop is live!

(And I even managed not to miss the holiday season—though only just.)

In the shop you’ll find a whole bunch of original artwork and prints inspired by travel and the blog. There are brand new, original travel illustrations (like the one above!), the beginnings of a 50 States series, reproductions of my sketchbook drawings, and even made-to-order prints of any sketch on the blog. As you can probably guess, this is just the beginning. There’s a lot more to come next year, but hopefully this will whet your appetite.

In the meantime, I hope you’ll pop on over and take a look. And I’ll be back on Monday with the next regular post—see you then!

California orange grove sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Sunkissed sketching

In my studio I have a massive collection of vintage fruit crate labels from the 1930s and 40s (they’re still fairly easily obtained here on the West Coast). So it’s probably no surprise that when I found myself standing in an orange grove this winter, all I could do was imagine my sketchbook plastered on a box of citrus and transported to a bygone era.

Hells Angels sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Heaven and Hells

I never pass up a chance to visit my friends Sarah and Jesse. Not only are they some of my favorite people on the planet, but they also happen to live in one of my favorite neighborhoods in San Francisco: Dogpatch.

(How could I not love a place where my friends live on the same block as the Hell’s Angels?)

San Francisco houses sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Dogpatch is home to beautifully-preserved Victorian architecture—

Kitchen sketch by Chandler O'Leary

—and some of the best food in the city, whether you eat in or out.

Dogpatch restaurant sketch by Chandler O'Leary

It’s the kind of place where the residents are deeply invested in their neighborhood: many of the local business owners live right there, and everyone is passionate about Dogpatch’s history, pride and charm.

And beignets. Everyone is passionate about the beignets.

In fact, I’d say they’re the final tasty touch on making Dogpatch a little deep-fried slice of heaven—with or without the Angels.

Dogpatch sketch by Chandler O'Leary

 

 

Motel signs sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Miracle Mile

More vintage goodness along Highway 99: sunny Redding, California is filled to the brim with old neon signs. On this day I was road tripping with a fellow travel blogger, my friend Mary-Alice (and her pup Chloe). The girls were remarkably patient with me while I insisted on stopping every thirty seconds to sketch more signs. But it was such a perfect day—how could I have passed it up?

Drive-Thru Tree sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Towering guilt

You know, if you think about it, a place that lets you pay money to drive your car through a hole cut into a centuries-old living redwood tree is kind of the perfect illustration of the bad side of American culture.

The first time I was (literally) in this neck of the woods, the guilt won out, and I passed it by. Then, earlier this year, the side of me that plans trips around things like Wall Drug hijacked my internal monologue, screaming, “You HAVE to stop! This is EXACTLY the sort of thing you love! They already drilled the tunnel, so you might as well!” And so I gave in. And you know what?

I loved every second of it.

Sorry, redwood tree. I’ll go plant a sapling as penance.

Mission San Juan Bautista sketch by Chandler O'Leary

On a mission

Someday I’ll get to all 21 missions along El Camino Real, but for my first-ever mission visit, I had to choose a starting point. Who wouldn’t pick the one used in an Alfred Hitchcock film? And one starring Jimmy Stewart, no less! I mean, come on.

Mission San Juan Bautista sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Though you’d never know it from the sun and balmy temperature, I was there in late winter. So I only had to share the place with the birds. (Not Hitchcock’s Birds, thankfully…)

Mission San Juan Bautista sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Actually, I was so bowled over by the beauty and tranquility of the place that I was sorely tempted to ditch my itinerary and spend the rest of my life trip here.

I think I picked the right mission, don’t you?

Mission San Juan Bautista sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Salem Sue sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Have sketchbook, will travel

You know when you’re on a road trip, and you see a highway billboard that says something like, “World’s Largest Two-Headed Calf, Exit Now!” and you consider stopping, just for a moment? And then your spouse looks it up on the map, and you discover that yeah, it’s this exit, plus maybe another 140 miles of dirt-road switchbacks in the opposite direction? And then you laugh, because who on earth would ever actually go there?

Well, that’s me. I am the one who goes there.

And I bring my sketchbook and a little box of paints with me. This is what I do. I’ve logged a lot of miles in my life, visiting as many patches of earth as possible and getting as much down on paper as I can. And for the first time, I’m putting these sketches out into the world. So here we are: I’ve collected all my drawings of crazy tourist traps and Paul Bunyan statues and hidden gems and panoramic vistas, and I’m sending them out like postcards. To you.

Welcome to my world—let’s hit the road, shall we?

Big Sur Highway sketch by Chandler O'Leary