Once more at Swanson's

This was an anniversary sketch outing.  It was December 2012 that we first starting meeting on Fridays.  This is the 4th December we've done a holiday sketch outing.  The first time we went to the Gingerbread Village and the Teddy Bear suite.  The next two years we went to the Gingerbread Village and then last year we also went to Swanson's.  This year we decided, after last year's experience, it was just too crowded on Friday mornings at the Gingerbread Village.  For this year and next and perhaps beyond, Swanson's will be our holiday outing.

Many people sketched the reindeer and the camel.



Our two visiting sketchers, sketching the reindeer:  Gretchen (from WI) and Allie (from Portland).  Gretchen had sketched with us here at Swanson's last year, too.

I did not sketch the live animals this year.  My first sketch was the topiary moss reindeer and the decorated entrance.  It was chilly but I was under cover, at least.  I had also come prepared with three layers plus my light raincoat!



I was happy to move indoors to the relative warmth of the display green house.  I sketched a display there.



We shared sketches in the cafe....



but it was so crowded we moved outside for the group photo



During lunch, we learned that Peggy (second from right, in back, in purple) had been the subject of one of Gabi's Seattle Times columns, back in May 2012!  She is the woman who walked all the streets in Seattle.  And now she's joining us as a sketcher!