Chalk it up to Racism

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Writing “Black Lives Matter” in chalk on the sidewalk is illegal in Saleh, Washington. Charges could include 364 days of jail time and a fine up to $5,000. A video posted on July 6, 2020 showed a sanitation worker pressure washing the chalk on a sidewalk outside the city hall as youths with face masks lay on it, holding protest signs. I have sprayed my foot before with a pressure washer and that can really hurt. The children remained seated as the worker, who was not wearing a face mask, pressure washed around them. The chalk they had used to create the sidewalk art was sprayed into the street. This of course reminded me of the civil rights protests in Alabama when fire hoses were used to blast Black children protestors.

Saleh is a quiet rural town with a conservative mayor. The city administrator refereed to the 10 children as a mob. Chalk art has long been a tableau for social activism, a form of instant commentary that takes political expression quite literally onto the streets. Cities have at times targeted it, such as in San Diego, where a man was charged with 13 counts of vandalism in 2013 for writing anti-bank messages on a public sidewalk. A jury acquitted him.

Selah’s chalk activism began with Gabriel Fabian, 20, who was not politically active until after seeing the video capturing the arrest in May that led to George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Mr. Fabian, who is Latino, decided he needed to play a role in halting the oppression of Black people, and that it would need to start at home. He began by writing Black Lives Matter on his dead-end street. A street sweeper wiped away this messages the same week. Fabian’s friends repeatedly wrote messages on the concrete, all of which were repeatedly removed by officials.

Since the chalk art keeps appearing, police chief Richard Hayes has threatened punitive damages saying the chalk art is graffiti.  The family’s attorney, Joseph Cutler, has argued that erasing the Black Lives Matter chalk art is in violation of the family’s right to free speech. The city claimed that they always remove chalk art although, Fabian’s mother Ms. Perez said she had seen no efforts to remove recent chalk art tied to school graduations. It would seem the message is what is being targeted. Courtney Hernandez has been organizing Black Lives Matter events in the area, said it was clear to her that the city was attempting to silence protest.

The Horder

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 States lacking essential equipment like ventilators and masks need
relief quickly. Donald Trump has been fighting with state
governors blaming
them for the shortage of ventilators. The Trump administration wants
states to take care of themselves before bugging the federal government
for life saving equipment. The Strategic National Stockpile, a relatively obscure office in the
federal government that manages the country’s emergency medical
supplies, exists to respond to a crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jared Kushner, senior adviser to the president and his son in law, prompted controversy
when he made a rare public appearance at the April 2 Covid-19 task
force briefing and commented on the federal stockpile. When asked about
states’ needs for supplies, Kushner said the stockpile was “supposed to
be OUR stockpile.”
He added, “It’s not supposed
to be states’ stockpiles that they then use.”  The next day the
stockpile website was altered stating that the federal stockpile was “a short-term stopgap buffer.” More than once, President Donald Trump has falsely claimed that
the federal stockpile of emergency medicine and supplies he inherited
from his predecessor was an “empty shelf.” He has sought to blame former President Barack Obama’s administration for the current state of the stockpile.

The
National stockpile  of ventilators and medical equipment is likely running
low. The medical supplies are stored in six warehouses located in
strategic, undisclosed locations across the country, where they are
maintained by a staff of about 200. The stockpile has maintained a large
supply of personal protective
equipment, including N95 masks, face shields, and surgical gowns, as
well as medical equipment like the ventilators that hospitals so
urgently need now to treat Covid-19 patients.

On April
3, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) said the federal government has just 9,800
ventilators available. There are 9,054 remaining in the Strategic
National Stockpile, and the Department of Defense had 900.  The
department of Defense has wanted to distribute the ventilators they
have, but the administration has not helped them in fining where they
should be sent.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
said that just his state, which is currently at the epicenter of the
pandemic, will need as many as 37,000 ventilators at the peak of the
outbreak. After waiting for relief from the Trump administration, Cuomo
ultimately enlisted the National Guard to sieve and relocate ventilators
from upstate facilities to New York City. Cuomo  reportedly only had
2,200 in the state stockpile. But
instead of using all the tools at his disposal to help, Trump has
indicated that he doesn’t believe Cuomo actually needs that many. New
York Sate is not crucial to his reelection hopes.Trump further said,
“The states should have been building their stockpiles … we’re a
backup. We’re not an ordering clerk.” China donated 1000 ventilators,
and Oregon donated 140 ventilators to New York State to try and make up
for the federal disregard for the states plight. Cuomo pledged that New
York would follow suit and help other states at the pandemic sweeps
across the country.

Experts and lawmakers are concerned that the Trump administration’s
uneven distribution of supplies is driven by political goals. In early March, Washington State requested 233,000 N95 respirators
and 200,000 surgical masks, the Strategic National Stockpile sent them less than half that amount. Illinois, Massachusetts, and Maine also said they received fractions of what they requested. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
however asked for 430,000 surgical masks, 180,000 N95 respirators, and
other equipment. The full order arrived three days later. One anonymous
official told the Washington Post, “The president knows Florida is so
important for his reelection … He pays close attention to what Florida
wants.” 

The House Oversight Committee revealed that President Donald Trump’s administration failed to allot masks and equipment from the federal stockpile based on states’ needs. Trump has also been reportedly seizing shipments from private
companies to distribute to his political allies.

At a
White House press briefing on March 13, Trump told states to order their
own medical supplies, kicking off a process that has led to governors
entering bidding wars
with each other, the federal government and other countries over
essential
goods like ventilators and N95 masks. “It’s like being on eBay with 50
other states, bidding on a ventilator,” Cuomo said in a daily press
briefing.

The Trump administration has been getting
worse at dealing with the Covid-19 crisis. After spending the first two
months of the year denying the severity of the Covid-19 outbreak,
it’s now clear that the Trump administration has settled on deflecting
blame. Trump seeks scapegoats not solutions and accountability.

At
FEMA, the agency tasked with coordinating the federal response to the
outbreak, about 9,000 additional ventilators are still on hold as
officials seek to determine where they are needed most urgently. A
unified National response is needed to address the crisis but there is
no leadership to oversee the desperate need.

The number
of deaths has spiked to 1,255 in one day which is the largest death rate
of any country in the world. By Tuesday April 6, 2020, 5,489 New
Yorkers had lost their lives to COVID-19, up from 4,758 a day earlier.
Refrigeration trucks are acting as temporary morgues since the city’s
morgues are full. Between 200 and 250 people are dying each day and so
plans are being made for mass burials on Hart Island in Long Island
Sound off of the Bronx and other public lands. 

ODD3 had about 15 artists drinking, drawing and collaborating.

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The third Orlando Drink and Draw (ODD3) fell on Labor Day. Artists were to meet at Redlight Redlight (2810 Corrine Dr, Orlando, FL). I was afraid there might be holiday hours so I searched the web and found out the bar would be open from 5:30pm to 9:30pm. Since artists would start arriving around 6pm, I could relax. I went to see the movie Mission Impossible Rouge Nation, so I ended up arriving about an hour late. When I arrived,I bumped into Gay Geiger who was getting napkins from the food truck parked in front of Redlight Redlight. The building used to be a refrigeration sales store and the signage is still out front. The bar signage uses the same colors so it all blends in.

Gay was in the back room of the bar with her daughter. I glanced through her daughter’s sketch journal latter that night and there was a stunning collage of characters from the Japanese animated film “My Neighbor Totoro.”  I ran my fingers over the image to feel the amazing depth created. After that image I explored every page as if searching for Braille messages. This is what I love about this monthly event, I always get to discover and meet amazing artists.

In the front room Carlos Basabe was at a long table in the corner along with about 6 other artists. There was one seat available but when I sat in it, I found myself blinded by a projector which was projecting an image on the wall behind me. The blinding light wouldn’t do so I set up at a table near by. Colin Boyer and a friend sat at my table. I’m learning names slowly and sent around a sign in sheet that I forgot about, so it was left behind. Once I started my sketch I was lost in thought. I started my sketch by drawing Brian OHalloran at the end of the bar lightly in pencil. A young couple sat at the table in front of Brian blocking my view. They became my center of interest. Brian did a digital sketch of the beer he was drinking. Later in the evening he took a picture of the bar maid and he took a shot of me at work. Brian is now doing a series of sketches of people.

I made a small accordion sketchbook and invited any interested artists to fill a page or two. When the sketch is unfurled you can see the stream of consciousness as each sketch builds off of the sketch preceding it. I’ll bring the sketch to the next ODD event since it is a work in progress. Two young women were visiting Orlando from Walla Walla, Washington state and they heard about the event and joined us for the evening. They had bright markers and they added a splash of color to the nights sketch. Artists came an went in waves. All told I would say about 16 artists came out to mingle, drink and draw. I got to meet artists I’d never met before so to me the evening was a success.

Winthrop

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The next leg of the trip involved finding a horse stable where Terry could get in a trail ride. By iPhone she found a lodge just outside of Winthrop Washington. We stopped at Winthrop an walked about for a bit to take in all the renovated Western architecture. Bikers were around in abundance as well. I decided to sit outside of a saloon to get this view of the main street with the Harley’s in the foreground. I miss timed adding color to the bikes and before I knew it the bikers had roared of. I threw down splashes of color wherever I felt the sketch needed them partly from memory and partly from direct observation. Terry had scoped out a cinnamon bun and ice cream store that I hope we will go back to tonight.
I also sketched the horses just prior to the trail ride. I ran into similar issues where I would start sketching a horse and then immediately a child would hop on and the horse would wander off. Life just keeps forging ahead with little regard to the limited patience of an artist. “Stand still laddy!”

The Killer Whale Pod

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As the Mystic Sea sat quiet in the water, a pod of killer whales swam right towards us. They swam by on both sides of the boat and one crossed right under the boat surfacing right near where I was perched as I sketched. Since I wasn’t crowded up against the railing on the opposite side of the boat, I was the only one who got to see him that close. I felt his spray.

Terry was getting annoyed that I was spending more time sketching the tourists than watching the whales. Sketching the tourists as they ran from one railing to the other was definitely more entertaining than watching the blow spouts and dorsal fins. One person would point out to sea and then everyone would rush to that railing tipping the boat slightly. Digital cameras and binoculars would come out and thousands of shots must have been fired off catching every nuance of the whales brief surfacing.

After this sighting the captain maneuvered the boat several more times to follow the pod, giving everyone on board more views of the whales. At one point the whales churned up the water feeding on a school of fish. One slapped the water’s surface with his tail.

I spoke with one fellow passenger that once lived in Orlando but moved to Seattle 3 years ago to work for Microsoft. He said he never regretted the move. He also said his son is studying to be an artist. Are every one’s children studying to be artists? Kids wake up, art isn’t easy.

The Mystic Sea

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We boarded the Mystic Sea at Anacortes in Washington State. Anacortes is about a two hour drive north of Seattle. The boat traveled through the myriad of islands heading to a spot near San Juan Island where the spotter plane had last seen a pod of Killer Whales. On the several hour trip out the captain informed everyone that a fishing vessel had capsized and sank the night before in the waters we were traveling in. He asked us all to look for debris. When we got to the location the spotter plane had mentioned, there ware no whales to be seen. It took us another half hour to find the pod of whales.

There were 20 to 30 whales in the pod and the captain stopped the engine when he saw that the whole pod was swimming right towards the boat. There are very strict rules about how a boat can function when spotting whales. One woman a week before had slapped the water with her hands from a smaller craft and she was fined $12,000. Our boat was used in the filming of Free Willy 2 when that film was being shot.

Deception Pass

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Our Washington State vacation was quickly drawing to a close. Deception pass is a straight separating Whidby Island from Findalgo Island. It connects Skagit Bay with the Straight of Juan de Fuca to form a churning boiling water mass. Tourists can walk across the Deception pass bridge. You can barely see the small forms walking the bridge in the sketch. Construction of the bridge was completed in 1935. Vertigo dampened Terry’s desire to walk across the bridge for the view. Instead we drove down to the water where fishermen were busy trying to catch Salmon.
I set up shop and started sketching near a barefoot young couple who were snuggling on a blanket and enjoying the view. I liked the way the bridge sort of mirrored the gentle curve of a large drift wood log. Some people took the flat smooth stones and skipped them across the water, others caught fish as the sun set. After a fish was dragged up on shore the fisherman would then bash it in the head with a rock, the bloody details of which I really didn’t need to see. Several other fishermen were arguing with each other about where they should be casting. These guys almost came to blows simply because one fisherman was casting to close to the other guys sweet spot near a rock. I thought fishing was supposed to be relaxing!

There is a Bison in the Lobby

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At the Sun Mountain Lodge in the Cascade mountains we found this huge Bison standing in the lobby. As I sketched him several families approached and took pictures of their children next to this Bison named Floyd. One little girl asked her mom, “Is that Floyd’s real tongue?” Her mother pondered the question and said “Well I know they replace the eyeballs with glass but I am not sure about the tongue. I suppose it could be his original tongue.” The little girls father offered to lift her up to see the tongue up close but she screamed and backed away shouting “NO!”
Little kids were fascinated with Floyd and respected the fact that he didn’t want to be touched. The Bison is a beautiful beast and I tried to imagine huge herds roaming the open ranges around the Lodge. Deer were to be found in abundance every night at dusk. They would roam the grounds eating the fresh grass and sometimes the garden flowers. They had no fear of humans at all. One camped outside our window and didn’t even turn its head as we spoke about her. The ears did twitch indicating she did hear us however. The other wildlife that could be seen each day were the chipmunks.

B. Fuller’s Morter & Pestle

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Fremont Avenue in Seattle was founded by hippies and artists. It is the self proclaimed center of the universe and a MASH style signpost points to cities in all corners of the World and Universe. Newer shops are now offering high priced boutique items and the artists are being driven out to establish a new artsy neighborhood.
A huge outdoor market with perhaps 50 or so tents was going on and anything could be found from a used doll or old record to vintage clothing. B. Fullers tonics and cold drinks caught my eye. To do the sketch I had to stand right out in the flow of endledd foot traffic which was intimidating but once the sketch began to take shape I lost track of where I was. One of the proprietors offered me a free sample, and the tea was light and tasty. Some people looked over my shoulder but as usual when I was fully concentrating, few people interrupted. One person did ask if I liked the tea and I offered a rave review which convinced the costumer to order a sip. I felt I had earned my keep in helping to promote this unique tea shop.
It was exciting to be part of this bustling activity which goes on every weekend on Fremont Avenue. The weather was cool and inviting with the sun offering just enough warmth. The variety of people and situations offers an endlessly fascinating sketching opportunity.

Mount Rainier

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The mountains beckoned again so we had to make a trip to the mountain that is faintly visible in the Seattle skyline and often hidden in the mist and clouds. It is as mysterious as Mount Fiji with its base seldom visible. It took us all day to drive around Mount Rainier but the trip was well worth it. Rolling mountain meadows were covered with purple and white wildflowers. This view from Sunrise Ridge is looking down on the Lodge and parking lot where the tourists gather. A short hike up the hillside and I was serenely alone. The air was cool and the sun warm. It was fantastic to sit still and sketch the scenery. I did get a bit of a high altitude sun burn right through the sunscreen I had lathered on. The valleys leading up to the mountain are filled with horse ranches and farms which have the most astonishing views with the mountain filling the horizon behind the barns.
When the mountain was directly in front of the car as we drove towards it, it would seem to fall away while the trees roared towards the foreground. This gave an unnerving effect of vertigo. Rivers and waterfalls rushed water away from the mountain in every direction. One deep gorge called Box Canyon had a steep vertical drop of sheer cliffs of rock which had been eroded over time by the water.
On the drive back to Seattle we went through the town I once lived in after I had taken a bicycle trip across the country. Tacoma is sort of the armpit of Seattle. It is very rural with pickups, gun and pawn shops and rampant poverty. Terry and I considered getting a pizza for dinner and the sign on the door proudly boasted that food stamps were accepted. Teenagers hung out in the strip mall parking lot drinking beer and waiting for night fall. I felt as out of place today as I did when I found myself trying to carve out a living here years ago. I only stayed in Tacoma for about a year and then I rushed back to NYC. I was glad when the drive through memory lane had ended and I was back in scenic Seattle.