There’s a new way to paint the town red. Or should we say, color?
Liberty Bay Books offers adult coloring sessions once a month at different bars and restaurants around Poulsbo. So far, Hare and Hounds, That’s-A-Some-Italian and The Loft have taken part in this new craze.
“I think everybody’s life is so busy, and it’s nice to slow down and concentrate on something very detailed,” said Suzanne Droppert. Droppert owns Liberty Bay Books, and is one of the main instigators for adult coloring nights.
“It’s very fun, though. We’re trying to provide events for people to have something to do in town,” she said.
While the coloring is free — Liberty Bay provides the coloring sheets and colored pencils — getting a drink or having dinner at the host restaurant is an option.
“It’s a great downtown partnership, and it gives people a different kind of event to go to,” Droppert said.
The coloring sessions run for about two hours, beginning at 6 p.m. Therefore, it is the perfect time to sit and enjoy a meal or a drink in one of Poulsbo’s finest restaurants.
And men, don’t be fooled. This isn’t simply for the women of the house.
“Both men and women come in,” Droppert said. “And last time, a couple of 20-year-old guys came in and brought their own colors and everything. It was great. I love that.”
Although bringing your own coloring utensils is an option, it’s hard to compete with the equipment that Droppert brings. Liberty Bay Books special-ordered colored pencils from Austria, and they are brought to every event.
“These are awesome colored pencils,” Droppert said as she showed the impressive display.
The pages provided are by Scottish artist Johanna Basford. Basford has two adult coloring books currently in publication, “The Secret Garden” and “An Enchanted World,” and she has a third, “Lost Ocean,” coming out in October.
What’s the difference between an adult coloring book and a children’s? The intricate designs in the pages. Where your average coloring book consists of Disney characters and super heroes, the books that Basford creates take a little more time to complete and have much more complex details.
“The first one that I finished, it took me two times,” Droppert said. “I started at the first event and finally finished at the second.”
Droppert also brings Basford’s books and other merchandise for people to take a look at. For the Cocktails and Coloring theme at Hare and Hounds, Droppert brought one of Liberty Bay Book’s cocktail recipe books and the bartender made specials for the participants.
“It’s a sense of community, and it gives people a different kind of event to come to,” Droppert said. “You know, you don’t have to drink, you can relax and do nothing else.”
For more information and dates of the next coloring event, go to www.libertybaybooks.com/event.
