Rain Mixed with Snow and Pastries

I had a wonderful time with UskSeattle Adhoc Sketchers yesterday at Farms & Market in Everett at the Grand Avenue Marketplace.

Tina and Nilda and I spent the first part of the morning in Choux Choux Bakery with vintage Ray Charles LP playing on the turntable, coffee and pastries at our table and occasional snow/rain outside the big bright windows.

The half empty basket of round rustic loaves shows how popular the walnut bread is. Challah bread, warm from the oven, is destined for grilled cheese sandwiches and French toast when we get home. 

The food at Farms & Market was delicious and the staff, Chris and Rebecca were so hospitable. We’ve been invited back.

A new microbrewery is coming in 6 months as well. I would love to see the place this summer and fall when all the produce comes pouring in. Wouldn’t you?

Through a Wet Window

3/23/18 Downtown Everett through the Choux Choux Bakery window

As Nilda and I drove to Everett this morning, big, soggy snowflakes splattered onto the windshield. If the 40-degree temperature hadn’t reassured me that nothing would be piling up on the street, I probably would have skipped the sketch outing to Farms & Market. But I was curious enough about this brand-new indoor market venue to make the trip.

3/23/18 My delicious breakfast

Along with Michele, we settled in at Choux Choux Bakery adjacent to the market. I took more time than I usually would with a chocolate croissant waiting for me, but as soon as I finished, I scarfed it down in record time.

Afterwards I was planning to sketch Farms & Market’s wide-open space that hosts a variety of local farmers and other food purveyors. But right outside the wet bakery window was a street view of downtown Everett, including a bright yellow building, and it seemed to summarize the day: It would be a sunny spring day – if only it weren’t 40 degrees and snowing.

Ambidextrous Michele

Regardless of the weather, the handful of sketchers who showed up had fun!

USk Seattle at Everett's new Farms & Market

Sun, Fun and Funko

10/15/17 Funko storefront

The intersection of California and Wetmore in Everett was a lively place Sunday morning, and I’m not talking about the line of people waiting outside the Funko store door. It was lively because sketchers were on every corner and even on the rooftop of the parking garage across the street, sketching the most colorful residents of downtown Everett.

I was there a month ago scoping out the location for Urban Sketchers Seattle, but I stayed on the street level that time. On Sunday I went up to the garage rooftop with several others, where we got a fantastic view of the storefront (and the bright sun at our backs kept us warm). I’m not familiar with this lavender-colored monkey, but I was told he’s a video game character. I never found out why a line of people began forming an hour before the store’s opening, but I was told by employees that it’s been like that every day since the store opened in August. They obviously know something I don’t.

On Wetmore Avenue, I caught Anne and Vivian sketching the storefront (plus Batgirl and the same monkey overhead). 

Although Everett is a little further north than we typically go for a Sunday outing, we got a great turnout on this chilly but sunny morning. What a fun place!

10/15/17 Wetmore Avenue

Suzanne on the rooftop

Michelle sketching the storefront

Fun with USk at Funko

Urban Sketchers from Seattle traveled about 30 miles north to the world headquarters of Funko for the monthly outing today. We met at 10am even though the store doesn't open on Sundays until 11:00. A line was already forming when I arrived at 9:30 am. We got an insider's tip and went to the roof of a 4 story building across the street from Funko.

I brought two sketchbooks, one for ink wash and one for watercolor line and wash.

My "mysterious" sketch of  Bat Girl  for Inktober Day 15

The parking garage roof was a great viewpoint for sketching the customers lined up waiting to get in and the giant figures of pop heroes securely attached to the overhang. The sunny exposure made it much warmer than the cold 50°F weather would indicate. It was positively chilly downstairs in the shade.

Formerly the old Bon Marche, this was where I bought onesies for my babies. In the distance, down Wetmore Ave., you can see the tan colored Funko building reflected in the blue glass sides of the last tall building.

My finished spread with building reflections, fall foliage, people lined up and Carolyn sketching.

The Crown Logo casts a shadow across the sunny sidewalk where Carolyn was sketching.

I was hoping that I could Pop! myself at the little Do It Yourself action figure counter inside, but it's not quite ready yet. So I had to settle for a digital Pop!elganger with the Pop! Yourself avatar creator online. I do hope they add sketchbooks and pens in the accessories section.

I "popped" myself  as a super hero sketcher on the parking roof across from Funko

Sketches from the Anchor Pub in Everett, WA

After the JM Cellars sketchcrawl,  my husband and I went to the Anchor Pub in Everett to meet the Whidbey Island Sketchers and Sharon from the Seattle Sketchers.  The music of the Magnolia Big Band was fabulous! The Anchor Pub is such a great spot and has such atmosphere.

Looking down at The Anchor Pub Bar

Magnolia Big Band @ The Anchor Pub

Worldwide Sketch Crawl

Nice Georgetown sketches, everyone! I unfortunately had to work in the afternoon so I stayed in Everett and participated in the worldwide sketching at Paine Field where they were having a historic flight air show. Here is an aircraft from the Historic Flight Foundation's collection, a Grumman F7F Tigercat.