McJerry66 is your online source for information about the creations of noted Route 66 authority and artist Jerry McClanahan.
Kingman event on
Aug 20, 2014 at 4:22:11 pm
I just got back from the excellent Route 66 festival in Kingman, AZ! What a whirlwind blur of faces and friends...it was a great time, even if I did not get to spend as much time with everyone as I'd like. Akkey did very well selling his new book! And I picked up a new art commission (or two?). Now its time for mowing the lawn, doing laundry, sorting out updates and reciepts and all that "fun" stuff.
new Japanese Route 66 book! on
Aug 05, 2014 at 3:47:52 pm
My good friend Akio Takeuchi (known to his many Route 66 friends as "Akkey") recently sent me an advance copy of his latest Route 66 photo book: Eternal Route 66"! At just over 300 pages its packed full of Route 66 goodness. This is Akkey's third Route 66 book, and his best to date. The text is in both English and Japanese, while the appeal of the photos is universal. Akkey's been traveling the Mother Road for over 20 years, and his photos (helped out a few times by his daughter Ayako) include many of the special events along 66 from those decades. Besides the hundreds of interesting and evocative photos, Akkey's text is warm and spiked with humor...well worth reading. A highlight is the special section devoted to the late Bob Waldmire. Akkey and family will be selling his book at the Kingman festival. Assuming he has any left, I plan to carry them in my gallery as well. Well done, Akkey!
visitors on
Jul 14, 2014 at 11:25:47 pm
A busy couple of days...I had Dale Butel's group of around 31 happy Aussies in on sunday. Dale brings thru 3 groups a year and we always have a good visit, hanging at the gallery, then off to lunch at the Boom A Rang Diner and ending up at the Route 66 Interpretive center.
Today, Chet Sveistrup of Hop A Long travel's tour brought a bunch of friendly Norwegians to the gallery over a 2 hour period. Hectic, but fun!
Whiting Bros Moriarty on
Jun 10, 2014 at 6:32:58 pm
Wow! The Whiting Bros event in Moriarty, NM last Saturday was fantastic! Lots of people and speakers and classic cars, all there to honor longtime owner/operator Sal Lucero and all those who are having a part in the restoration of the iconic Whiting Bros sign. Although completion of the resto has been delayed by a family of owls who took residence in the sign, its neon will soon shine again along the shoulder of old 66. Speakers included Kaisa Barthuli of the Route 66 Corridor preservation program. Senator Sue Wilson Beffort, Edgewood mayor Brad Hill, Moriarty mayor Ted Heath, NM assoc prez Andy House, Me, and Debbie Pogue (of the Sunset Motel next door). These folks are doing much to promote Rte 66 int heir corridor!
66 GTO at Gary's Gay Parita on
May 27, 2014 at 3:36:44 pm
The unveiling of my new painting of Curtis Gobeli's 66 GTO at Gary Turner's Gay Parita Station near Halltown Mo was a lot of fun! We had a nice group of people, and Gary got a kick out of seeing the finished art. Curtis and Kath had driven 66 last summer, when he was 66, and they stopped at Gary's on June 6! All those "66's" led him to commission me to do a painting commemorating his stop and the entire trip (with Route 66 icons hovering around a map of the route and a short history of 66 "floating" in the sky). Curt and Kath (plus friends Paul and Ruth) drove down from Minnesota for the event (Curt again drove his 66 GTO). See my gallery page for info on available signed (by Gary, Curt and me) dated and numbered prints...limited quantities!(note...no more limited edition prints...but I do have regular prints ...not signed by Curt or Gary...but I'll sign them!)
Gifts on
Feb 13, 2014 at 3:15:26 pm
Alexandre and Manuelle sent me a cool little model of a 1963 Citroen 2CV from France as a commemoration of their visit last year. I've got their postcard photo (standing in front of the End of Trail 66 sign at the Santa Monica Pier) but lost the package with their address, so I am thanking them here.
It will be displayed in my gallery...as soon as I finish some remodeling.
Terry Kemp (of Bay City Michigan) sent me a couple of dvds of great photos from his 2013 trip! I met him at Craig Parrish's Joliet to Pontiac tour. Terry has got a sweet yellow 1937 Ford...a real eye dazzler.
And last but not least, Nate "Igor" Smith sent me a copy of his photo book "Get Your Kicks"...number 43 of 250 printed. This is not your fathers Route 66 photo book...I started paging thru it...nice photos of 66 scenes...then I spotted the first NUDE! Yep...Igor photographed models along the Mother Road in various states of disrobement! A well crafted but unusual Route 66 book, for sure. The book is copyright Driven By Boredom Productions from Brooklyn, NY.
Whiting Bros photos. on
Jan 15, 2014 at 6:55:39 pm
Fellow Whiting Bros nut Phil Gordon has had an exemplary website about this long gone Route 66 icon for a while. Now he and I have collaborated on putting up a special section on his website featuring photos that I have taken of surviving stations and ruins back in the 1980s and 1990s.
Check out my page at:
http://rt66.webege.com/wbros/mcjerry.html
..and Phil's great site at:
http://rt66.webege.com/
Route 66 The Road Ahead on
Nov 29, 2013 at 4:53:01 pm
I got back earlier this week from a conference about the future of Route 66 held by the World Monument Fund at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. Over 100 route 66 stakeholders and others (experts in marketing, branding, etc) were invited to sit down over 3 days and brainstorm.
Out of this came many ideas...some good, some not so good (who'd want a Route 66 toll road?!!).
The challenge is how to attract more growth (which requires $$) to the road without ruining it. Our grass roots efforts have caused Route 66 to grow every year....any future efforts should be aimed at assisting and facilitating (not dictating to) our various existing groups and organizations (any umbrella organization should be more of a "concierge" to the state associations, helping to meet their needs and requests), and retaining that authentic, Route 66 experience. The Route 66 Alliance and the Historic Route 66 Federation may be joining forces to be just such an "umbrella."
NEW PAINTING on
Oct 07, 2013 at 3:50:23 pm
I've started a new commissioned car portrait of a client's classic 1966 Pontiac GTO at Gary Turner's "Gay Parita" station at Paris Springs, MO!
I met Curtis this summer while he was doing his "I am 66 years old and driving 66 in a 66 GTO" trip. I was coming back from Tucumcari, so we met at Cadillac Ranch, where I photographed his sweet ride.
Coincidentally, he stopped at Gary's place on June 6!
Its a large watercolor with lots of details.
And yes, I will have prints for sale later.
Munger Moss painting is DONE! on
Jul 22, 2013 at 10:25:57 pm
Finally...my painting of the famous Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon Mo is FINISHED! Took a while, what with road trips, home projects and other interruptions...now to get it professionally photographed (Red River Photo in OKC) and make some prints! The painting will hang in McJerry's Route 66 Gallery in Chandler, OK until someone comes along and falls in love.
See the gallery page for a snapshot. 13x19 and 8.5 x 11 Prints are available. I plan to have larger prints made...someday!