Smokey Joe's in Snoqualmie

Author
William E. Elston

Published
Aug 18, 2018

Tags

I was invited by my friend Mehdi Fallahian to participate in a plein air paint out in Snoqualmie Washington. I encouraged a few of my students, Bin Li, Liz Talley and Min Zhong, to participate as well.

I drove to the Duvall Park & Ride, where I joined Bin and Min in Bin's truck. We then went off together to the event. As soon as we arrived I knew what I wanted to paint. There was an old boxy tavern named Smokey Joe's, about a block off Railroad Avenue on King Street. I set up across the street, and did the painting alla prima.

I met Jim, the owner of Smokey Joe's, and his wife, as well as Isaiah the bar manager. It was just as funky on the inside as on the outside, the sort of place that I can imagine hanging out in. Jim had informed me that the bar had been used in the filming of some of the last episodes of Twin Peaks.

At 3 pm all of the pleinairistas brought their paintings to the Black Dog Cafe, where they were judged by the local arts commission. Not surprisingly, other locals walked away with the awards. We were served an excellent lunch, and then the artists dispersed.

My students Bin, Min and myself went back to Smokey Joe's for one last beer, then drove through the lush Snoqualmie River Valley back home. The whole affair was short, but very sweet, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. This was the consensus of my students as well.