Peaceful Red Square for No Kings

6/14/25 Red Square, University of Washington campus

Joining many cities across the country, Seattle held numerous “No Kings” demonstrations on June 14 in protest of policies that have been put in place since January. The biggest rally began in Capitol Hill, with 70,000 marching to Seattle Center (one of the largest protests in the city’s history). Many smaller gatherings took place in local communities, including one on the University of Washington campus, which I chose to join.

In addition to witty signs, some protesters carried US flags.

As it happened to be commencement day, protesters chanted and carried signs and flags at Red Square, while graduates in cap and gown posed for photos with their parents nearby in front of Suzzallo Library. Eventually the group marched through campus and around the U-District, where traffic waiting for us to pass honked their support.

It felt good to join the collective voice against injustice and disgusting tyranny. It was also important to show that we can gather and express our views in public peacefully and without fear.

After the rally, protesters marched across campus and through the U-District.

 

More Wedgwood Cedars Falling

 

10/5/24 Wedgwood neighborhood. Three centenarian cedars will be cut down for development.

The Wedgwood neighborhood, which is home to the now-famous cedar tree Luma that was saved by citizen activism, was the site of another “gratitude gathering” for more endangered trees. Sadly, unlike Luma, three centenarian cedars will likely not be saved. They stand on a property that will be developed by Legacy Group Capital, one of Seattle’s largest development companies, which has so far purchased 530 properties in Seattle. Weak city ordinances are too easily evaded by the likes of Legacy.

I attended the gathering Saturday on this quiet street, where neighbors and other concerned citizens came out to express sadness and appreciation for these and all trees that we benefit from every day. The homeowner of the adjacent property told me that although the equally mature trees on her property cannot be cut, they will likely be at risk because they’re so close to where work will take place. One of the tree experts who spoke at the gathering said trees are not stand-alone individuals; when one is cut down, it affects the health of the rest of the grove.

Representatives of Tree Action Seattle, the citizen activist group fighting for climate justice, say the best course of action for citizens is to write to city councilmembers. We were encouraged to express our concern at the ballot box and at public meetings.

I enjoyed sketching some of the many dogs who came along with their humans to the event.

To help raise awareness, I continue to sketch as many endangered trees as I can in my neighborhood and around it. Walking the mile or so to Wedgwood on a lovely afternoon, I thanked all the many mature trees I passed that are still thriving.

UW Quad Protest

5/9/24 UW Quad

The day before USk Seattle’s outing to the University of Washington Biology Greenhouse, student protests of the university’s involvement with support to Israel started heating up. News reports said the pro-Palestinian protest encampment was still relatively peaceful, though, so I wasn’t concerned. I was, however, a naughty USk admin: After leading the group into the greenhouse, I went out to the Quad, where the encampment had been set up. I saw a good opportunity for sketch reportage!

OK, that’s what I told myself, but if truth be known, I just wanted to sketch in the sun. Two winters ago, USk met at the greenhouse when it was chilly out, so the greenhouse’s warmth was welcome. This afternoon, though, the hot, humid greenhouse was less appealing; I preferred 70-degree sunshine!

Even if my primary motivation wasn’t journalistic, I did find it an interesting challenge to tell the story of the encampment on a comics-like page (above). How different the Quad looked, covered end-to-end with tents, compared to the last time USk Seattle met there to sketch the fairyland of cherry blossoms.

After finishing that montage, I found myself suddenly hungry, so I wandered over to the HUB for a snack. I’ve been inside the HUB maybe three times since I graduated in 1985, and every time I’ve been shocked by how much everything has changed since I was a student. I open the same doors I opened nearly daily for six years, but inside, nothing looks the same.

Still, I enjoy the vibrant energy of the UW campus, especially between classes when students stream by in all directions. As I caught snippets of conversations, I realized not everything changes; students still talk about the same kinds of things.

Give Astra a Chance

2/24/24 Astra, a 100-year-old western red cedar, Wedgwood neighborhood

Astra, an ancient western red cedar, first came to my attention last fall when the organization The Last 6000 put out a call: The 100-year-old tree was in danger. Although architects had shown ways in which the development could be built while still allowing the tree to live, the developer of the property where Astra stood had applied to have the healthy tree cut down.

A Gratitude Gathering had been scheduled for Feb. 24 to raise awareness of the tree’s imminent danger. Two days before that, the tree was vandalized (suspected by the developer) and injured so that it would be at risk of falling, giving the developer legitimate grounds to cut it down.

Unlike many major US cities, Seattle allows trees to be managed by the same department responsible for development. That seems like a direct conflict of interest. The result is that laws are in place to protect old trees, but the laws are not always enforced. Even when they are enforced, developers simply pay the penalty and go forward with their plans with no consequences.

I joined the substantial group at the Gratitude Gathering in the Wedgewood neighborhood, where the block in front of the property had been closed so the event could take place. Police cars blocked either end of the street. Neighbors and other concerned citizens listened to speakers describe the challenges and answer questions. At the close of the ceremony, people sang a variation of the John Lennon refrain: “All we are saying is give trees a chance.”

9/17/23 Astra's forked trunk sketched last fall.

Quiet Sketch Reportage: Seattle Trees

 

7/23/23 Luma, a culturally significant cedar in Wedgwood, and an idle excavator on the adjacent property.

8/3/23 This healthy Douglas fir growing where 
a housing development will be built was cut down
11 days after I sketched it. Maple Leaf neighborhood.

While many of us may think that “sketch reportage” involves being in the trenches on a battlefield (as Richard Johnson, former Washington Post artist, became well known for) or participating in large public rallies, it can be quieter, too. This summer Gabi Campanario, editor of the online publication On the Spot, gave me an opportunity to report on a tree that had captured the hearts of Seattle. Named Luma by its supporters, the 200-year-old Western Red Cedar was slated to be cut down to make room for construction of a housing development.

I’m fortunate to live in a city where trees are a prominent part of the urban landscape, and I always enjoy including trees in my urban sketches (especially when utility poles, wires and other human-made features are involved). Working on Luma’s story, however, gave me a much greater appreciation for the sketch reportage process – that it’s much more than just the fun of urban sketching as I have always known it.

In addition, I learned much about my subject matter: Mature trees like Luma are being cut down at an alarming rate all over Seattle, especially in less affluent neighborhoods. Living a comfy, privileged life in Maple Leaf, I had understood the term “climate justice” only peripherally. Suddenly I was becoming aware of how much is at stake when trees that take a century to grow are eliminated from the landscape. The impact is socio-economical as well as environmental.

8/14/23 In the Roosevelt neighborhood, a resident had ordered this 100-year-old Deodar cedar to be cut down to accommodate a new plumbing line. Tree activists gathered on the morning of the scheduled cutting to raise awareness among neighbors.

Using information I’m learning from the organization Tree Action Seattle, I’m trying to sketch as many threatened trees as I can, especially those near my own neighborhood. The numbers are staggering – I can’t sketch fast enough, and sometimes I’m too late. But every tree I sketch has become an opportunity to express gratitude to all trees that silently provide service to all of us every day.

8/23/23 While technically protected by city code, a heritage yellowwood tree in Wallingford is in danger of being damaged during construction of a multi-level townhouse on the property. Fewer than 500 heritage trees -- of exceptional size, form or rarity -- still exist in Seattle.  

9/8/23 This redwood was planted in the 1930s by Green Lake Elementary School students. Fencing supposedly protects it from nearby construction activities, but the fencing does not comply with city code, and the tree's roots may be injured. City officials are aware of the non-compliance but are not enforcing the code.

9/9/23 Tree Action Seattle informed concerned citizens about this block of trees slated to be cut down in Shoreline. Unfortunately, I couldn't get there before the cutting. Fliers urging neighbors to voice their concern still hung from the stumps.

Rally for Ukraine

2/25/23 Rally in support of Ukraine, Seattle Center

 

Coincidental to USk Seattle’s sketch outing at the Seattle Center today, a rally in support of Ukraine was happening at the same time. In addition to the bright yellow and blue Ukrainian flags and wraps that participants wore, the primary visual focus was a tidy arrangement of children’s shoes and boots on the ground. Until I Googled it later, I was unaware that the shoes represent the hundreds of children who have died since Russia invaded Ukraine one year ago.

Very Unhealthy

 

10/20/22 8:15 a.m., Maple Leaf neighborhood

On Tuesday as the thick cloud of smoke over the Puget Sound region grew heavier, the Air Quality Index kept going up, and the warning went from “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy.” By Wednesday, we had the worst air quality on the planet. In my neighborhood, the AQI was up to 249 just before sunset. (If you are fortunate enough not to have to think about the AQI, and you aren’t familiar with what that number means, a normal day in Seattle has an AQI of 15 or lower.) I made a quick sketch of the orange sun at 6:05 p.m. (at right). A few minutes after I sketched, the sun was completely obliterated by smoke.

By this morning, it was still “very unhealthy.” From our bedroom window, I could barely see down the block. I started sketching, hoping that the sun would eventually appear somewhere. At 8:15 a.m., small cracks of yellow appeared faintly (top of post). For a short time, the sun looked like a pale white disc. Then it disappeared again. The AQI was 235 when I finished the sketch.

Seattle Teachers on Strike

 

9/8/22 Seattle teachers on strike

Yesterday was supposed to be the first day of school for Seattle public school students, but the Seattle Education Association (the union representing Seattle teachers) delayed the opening by going on strike. According to the Seattle Times, “Demands from SEA include maintaining staff ratios for disabled and multilingual students as the district aims to provide more services in general education classrooms, and ensuring the district provides them with interpretation and translation services in meetings with parents and on official documents.” 

I don’t follow education news closely, but I figure that with all that teachers have been through the past few years, their grievances must be legitimate, and they deserve to get whatever they are asking for.

Today on the second day of the strike, I went over to Roosevelt High School. Parking several blocks away, I approached the school on foot. Expecting to see them pacing in front of the school’s front entrance, I was surprised to see a line of teachers marching toward me. I let them all pass, then tagged along behind them as they walked around the block. (I’m out of practice sketching while I march: The last – and only – time I did that was during the 2017 Seattle Women’s March. Like the pink hats we all wore then, the teachers’ bright red SEA T-shirts gave them visual solidarity and made them easy to sketch.) Sympathetic drivers honked their support as they passed.

Eventually the strikers took a break in the shade of one of Roosevelt High’s many large trees. Across the street in the shade myself, I could have easily taken more time (although I didn’t know how long their break would last). But the nature of the news I was trying to capture felt urgent, and I found myself sketching with unnecessary haste. As a result, my sketch turned out messier than I like, but I’ll chalk that up to the medium being the message.

Striking teachers take a break at Roosevelt High School.

Holiday Queue

12/7/20 Northgate Post Office

Other than the readerboard at Ace Hardware promoting “Corona Hours” back in March, I haven’t really sketched much that shows what the pandemic looks like – chiefly because I avoid all places and circumstances that might enable me to sketch masked people. I’ve wanted to – partly because I miss sketching people so much, but more because documenting current events is something urban sketching can do well. I won’t risk my own safety, though, for a sketch.

A few days ago when I was dropping off a pre-paid package at the drive-up mail box, I found an opportunity to sketch safely from my car. With two weeks until Christmas, the postal service is overwhelmed more than ever. While long lines at the post office before the holidays are normal, this year they are snaking out the door and around the parking lot so that everyone can stand safely distanced.

This sketch was a huge compositional challenge. As I often am, if I were mainly interested in sketching the gestures of the people in line, I would have drawn them larger, especially to include the important detail of masks. But if I drew the individuals larger, I would have been able to fit only two or three on the page to indicate the appropriate distance between them – another important part of this story. (I’ve seen some sketches of queues or crowds, and the sketchers will note that the people were actually more socially distanced than was being shown in the sketch; they, too, were challenged by this dilemma.) Since my story was about the long line at the P.O., I chose to show more people and make them smaller, but some of the masks got lost.

Pink Disc, Yellow Sky

9/12/20 Maple Leaf neighborhood, early afternoon

Although we have our own deadly fires here in Washington State, the Seattle area has been covered by a blanket of smoke since Wednesday that originated with Oregon’s equally devastating wildfires. The smoke here is not nearly as thick as it has been in Oregon and California; photos and sketches of those areas show the sky as dark orangey-brown. Here in the Puget Sound area, the sky is more yellow than orange.

On Friday when I tried to look at the sun, it was still too bright to see with bare eyes, so I knew the smoke wasn’t too bad yet. I recalled the thick smoke we had two years ago from fires to the north, when the sun was an orange ball that was easy to look at with unprotected eyes.

Today the expected “super-massive plume” fully arrived. I kept looking for the sun, but behind the smoke, the sky must have been partly cloudy, because it was nowhere to be seen most of the day. I stood at our bedroom window in the early afternoon to capture the weird yellow light and low visibility. The “unhealthy” Air Quality Index was 185 (under 50 is considered “good”).

9/12/20 the sun is finally visible around 2:40 p.m.

By mid-afternoon, the clouds behind the smoke must have parted because I suddenly spotted the sun – a coral pink disc that, by contrast, gave the yellow sky a bluish-gray cast. Under any other circumstance, I would have called that pink “pretty.” It’s not often that I can sketch the sun by viewing it with unprotected eyes: Other than the smoke two years ago, the only other time was the moment of totality during the 2017 solar eclipse.

This smoke is terrible, but it’s not nearly as terrible as fleeing for my life as so many are from fires engulfing parts of the West Coast. I’m grateful to be safe. I’m grateful for all the firefighters working day and night to put the flames out.

Long Live C.H.A.Z.

Welcome to the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, established June 8, 2020. 

A couple days ago, the police vacated the east precinct here in Capitol Hill, Seattle. Protests have been raging outside it basically nonstop for the last week. Tear gas and flash grenades were deployed against protestors for minor “infractions” which only stoked more anger over police brutality. I joined the protests a few times and trying to do reportage sketching felt absurd in the middle of what was essentially a war zone.

leftover barricades from the protests mark the porous threshold of the CHAZ.

In light of that, it was really amazing to go to the Hill last night and experience the new "Free Capitol Hill" that has emerged in the wake of the conflict. The difference on Wednesday night compared to Sunday night is extreme: with no police presence, people are peacefully watching films in the street, spraying pro-BLM graffiti, dancing in the streets, discussing social justice. There's a co-op where you can get free food and water. Everything is donation only. 95% of people are wearing masks, both for health and to conceal identity.

the Rancho Bravo patio was an outdoor medic station last week; now it's more of a place to convene and hydrate.

Now that the violence has left with the police, it feels good and correct to document what’s happening. I tried to sketch for clarity, and drawings don't run the risk of accidentally exposing people's identities if they don't want to be seen here. I think it’s important to share as truthfully I can what is happening in our city, especially small moments, like this one: 

A black man got on top of a parked truck and shouted out "Black Lives Matter" to the crowd. More and more people responded back to him. When he was done leading the chant, he shouted "I love you", to which the crowd responded "I love you too". It was really tender.

It was shocking at first to see how much graffiti is getting put up right out in the open, but after reflecting for a few minutes I decided that it's our city; we get to express ourselves how we want. 

The POTUS has been tweeting about the C.H.A.Z., unsurprisingly he feels very threatened by what it represents. “these ugly anarchists must be stooped [sic] immediately.” No one can know what is going to happen next (I've just read that the police want to take the precinct back) but being in CHAZ last night felt really important. If you're local, hopefully you can visit to see what "ugly anarchy" really looks like. And to be clear, I don't think this should be the end of the protests here; the demands have not been met. But it is definitely an interesting development I don't think anyone could have imagined a couple weeks ago. 

Corona Hours

3/23/20 Maple Leaf Ace Hardware Store

I have a hunch that a full lockdown is close (voluntary social distancing wasn’t working, and even the current severe restrictions might not be enough), so I went out in my car looking for a way to document these crazy times before I lose that freedom. First I drove past my neighborhood Maple Leaf Park for any signs of closure, which the city had begun the day before, but I didn’t see anything from the street. Although a few people still walked around the park’s periphery, the playground was empty (last week we were dismayed to see it full of kids playing together while their parents chatted, just like normal).

A couple blocks north of the park, I passed the Maple Leaf Ace Hardware store (which I sketched from a better angle a few months ago). Its readerboard posted reduced “Corona Hours.” Staying in my parked car across the street, I wasn’t especially pleased with the composition, but tough times call for tough measures.