U-District Trader Joe’s

 

5/21/21 U-District Trader Joe's

On March 3, 2020, we had already begun hearing about the hoarding that was going on in stores – shelves emptied of staples like bread, milk, rice and, inexplicably, toilet paper. Stocking up but resisting the urge to hoard, we shopped at Trader Joe’s as we usually do, unaware then that it would be our last trip there for more than 14 months.

Last Thursday we finally returned – the first in-store shopping trip of our post-vax life. As Rip Van Winkle continued to rub the sleep from bleary eyes, I had to concede that not much had changed (we missed the free coffee and food samples, of course). Most of our favorite TJ’s products were still there, and we discovered a few new (at least to us) things to try. We carefully followed the one-way arrows on the floor that were largely ignored by other shoppers. They had probably long ago figured out how to efficiently navigate the aisles during a pandemic.

Checking out, we had to be reminded by the clerk to wait within the circled area to stay safely out of the way of others. Embarrassed, we told him that it was our first shopping trip in 14 months, so we hadn’t learned the rules yet. He welcomed us back “out,” and we thanked him for his service all year while we had stayed safely at home.

With frozen foods in our bags, I couldn’t take the time to sketch then, but I made a separate trip the next day to make this sketch. The University District Trader Joe’s dark, dreary storefront is not the kind I would typically want to sketch. But it was important to me to commemorate this event.

Remembering Kate Barber

Kate Barber's husband John informed us she had died on May 10th, in her sleep and surrounded in love by John and their dogs.  She had been ill for some months.  

Kate Barber, on left.  This was from our outing to the new Burke Museum and it just seems to be an example of her attitude.  She and John traveled widely. 

Kate was a constant sketcher.  She posted most on Facebook and Instagram.  Her sketches were so  lively, colorful and loose.  She loved her dogs and often posted sketches of them to her personal accounts.  During this outing in her neighborhood, she brought one with her. 

She embraced technology and often sketched on her tablet, using a variety of sketching apps. She was always learning and experimenting.  She invited me to her home once to give me a tutorial.  

 ---remembered by Kate Buike

John and Kate Barber in Delft, the Netherlands, after attending the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Amsterdam in 2019.

The following sketches (shared on Facebook) were made by Kate during the last year of her life. Although I knew Kate from sketch outings, I got to know her and John much better when we all attended the 2019 Urban Sketchers Symposium in Amsterdam. Whether traveling or walking in her own neighborhood, she always embraced the spirit of urban sketching with full enthusiasm. I will miss her very much. - Tina Koyama

Kate made and shared many delightful self-portraits. Posted in February, this was her last. 

Kate was a wonderful presence -- warm, Intelligent, and most of all - fun. I sensed a wealth of experience and rich talent when I was with her. I will miss sketching with her and learning new tricks of the trade. I'll miss seeing the posts of her delightful sketches and the inspiration she gave to the urban sketching community and, especially, the twinkle in her eyes as she shared her latest sketching discovery. I will remember her well. - Jane Wingfield

Her obituary, as posted online by John:

Katherine Keleher “Kate” Barber passed away in her sleep on May 10 at home with her husband, John, and rescued dogs, Oscar and Jax, beside her.

She was life-partner to John since their wedding on April 29, 1967, dog-mother to many lovely pets, watercolor painter, urban sketcher, gardener, traveler, spinner and knitter, bicycle commuter, Electric Slider, information retrieval specialist/librarian, and inspiration to many friends.

Kate was born on August 26, 1940, in Norfolk, Virginia. The family soon moved to the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from Morgan Park High School, Knox College, and the University of Chicago.

After finishing her masters degree in library science in Chicago, she worked as a librarian for the American Library Association, and the American Medical Association. In Seattle, she was librarian for the King County Medical Society for 35 years.

As a watercolor painter, her works were shown in exhibitions of the Northwest Watercolor Association, the National Watercolor Association, and the American Watercolor Association. In her later years, she took to heart urban sketching, keeping many journals and attending international conferences. Samples of her paintings and sketches are in several textbooks, and also seen on her FaceBook page.

She is survived by her husband John, her sister Margaret Wagner, brother-in-law Craig Wagner of Seattle, her brother Hugh Ten Eyck Keleher of Corning, New York, sister-in-law Marcia Bond of Salt Lake City, UT, and nieces and nephews, Kera, Noah, Christopher, Alexander, and Claire.

A memorial service will be announced later.

Donations in her honor are encouraged to Old Dog Haven, P.O. Box 1409, Oak Harbor, WA 98277-1409.  [If you receive the AARP magazine, they were featured in an article in the most recent edition]

Like a Hug

5/11/21 Mt. Rainier from Maple Leaf Park

The last time I sketched Mt. Rainier from life, I had been feeling bitter, angry and sorry for myself about the pandemic, and I needed Her Majesty to give me a well-deserved kick in the head, which she did. This time, it wasn’t a kick. It was more like a hug, and I felt my heart swell with joy and gratitude for all that my life and this world offer me every day. Every minute. Whether I deserve it or not.

roadtrip

 celebrating being fully vaccinated, a friend and I went on a 5 night campervan trip up to San Juan Island and back. it was much more comfortable than my solo van trip in December, nice to have company, and wonderful to have it get dark at like 9pm rather than 4:30pm. also this place we live is so beautiful!! here are some sketches from my watercolor sketchbook.

our first night, we aimed to get to Larabee State Park by Bellingham, but found a perfect parking spot w/o overnight parking restrictions on Chuckanut Drive with a great view of the Sound.

the ferry to the San Juan Islands is always such a treat. I drew little thumbnails of some of the islands we passed. then we stopped at this little park outside Friday Harbor where there was an old cannery area. I didn't see any trace left of industry on the island, but it used to be huge here.

 

 

 

coming back down south via Whidbey Island, we stopped at Deception Pass. I opted to draw a view other than the bridge since I've painted it several times. it's always a fine balance of wanting to see a lot of things on a trip like this vs committing to staying in a place long enough to sketch it.

Contrasts

It is another beautiful spring day to sketch outside in the sunshine. Today was the first day I used sunscreen, though there have been a couple others when it was needed.

My subjects today had significant contrasts: one the all American pastime and the other something quite unfamiliar to me (despite my undergrad major in Comparative Religion!).

I headed out to rural Kent to sketch this sculpture at a public park with ball fields. The field were locked up but the interesting playground was open. I like these kinds of odd sculptures and road side attractions. I didn't find out anything about it, though, as there was no information plaque and it's not listed on the Kent Public Arts page. The park is a 29 acre preserve that also includes picnic shelter(s) and trails.

I've passed this construction site several times and today I stopped to sketch it. It is the new Sikh temple or Gurdwara for "Gurdwara Shri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib Ji of Kent" (that's what was on the sign of the original building). It will be far grander than the unassuming building that is there now.

Fire – Under Control

5/5/21 Fire engines at controlled burn site, Ballard neighborhood

I had a rare opportunity this morning to sketch a controlled burn. Michele had let me know that the fire department was planning a firefighters’ training session over three days in the Ballard neighborhood. A house that was planned for demolition would be burned for training purposes.

Arriving shortly after the morning session was to begin, I got a great parking spot facing the intersection where a couple of the fire trucks were staged. Wearing oxygen tanks, firefighters ran back and forth with ladders, hoses and other equipment.

House on fire!

My view of the burning house was partially blocked by a parked car, but I could see the roof where most of the action was. (Eventually a fire engine blocked my view entirely, but I had captured what I wanted by that time.) I wouldn’t have had a problem with standing on the sidewalk to sketch, as only a few people were watching, but the huge cloud of smoke rising from the back of the house kept me inside my car. (I had déjà vu of our terrible wildfire weeks last summer when we could smell smoke even through our sealed doors and windows.) Though the front door facing the street was a bit charred, most of the burning must have been on the backside of the house. Dozens of firefighter trainees had various roles, many climbing to the roof and working their way to the back.

I appreciated the unique opportunity to see an interesting training process. It was the most human activity I had sketched since the pandemic began!