The seasons are about to shift again and our Bal-Art team is gearing up for our fall market! Come celebrate this transitional time with all your best spooky creations!
This market will be ONE DAY ONLY, so don't wait to apply! Applications are open through September 1st, but vendors are accepted on a rolling basis, so the sooner we hear from you, the sooner we can respond! Botanical Watercolors at Peace, Love & Happiness Club is back! Sign up to paint beautiful plants while surrounded by beautiful plants in Fremont! It's hard not to be inspired in that environment. 🪴First Saturdays, 6-8pm! Did you know? We have a growing number of other regular classes outside of the store, like... Watercolor on the Rocks with Lisa Jordan at Hattie's Hat! Third Fridays from 7-9pm! Paint a delightful cocktail while enjoying said cocktail! 🍸 Figure Drawing at Rose & Orange Studios is also Third Fridays, 6-9pm! Dust off your sketchbooks and refresh your foundations! ✏️ Paint & Sip with Gayle at Ballard Beer Co is Last Wednesdays, 6-8pm! August's subject will be succulents, 'cause we just can't get enough of plants! 🏵️ Book Spotlight: Creative, Not FamousFew artists achieve fame and fortune, but that doesn't mean your creative life can't flourish. Writer, illustrator, zinemaker, and playwright Ayun Halliday interviewed dozens of creative people and shared her own experiences to produce this rallying cry for the "small potato"—someone whose focus is making cool, meaningful work and living a creative life rather than achieving wealth or celebrity. New & Restocked
This Week!TONIGHT! August 1st, 6-9pm! Ballard Sketch Team at Hattie's Hat. It's our FREE bimonthly drawing meetup! Come draw! Wednesday, August 2nd, 6-8pm. Stitch n' Bitch! Bring a fiber project or start a new one! Productively stab out your woes in good company~ :) Saturday, August 5th, 2:30-4pm. Book Binding Workshop. Learn different binding techniques to use on your own sketchbooks and zines! Sunday, August 6th, noon-pm. Teen Open Studio. Let your teen work out some of that restless creative energy, make friends, and get art questions answered! Monday, August 7th, 11am-12:30pm. Botanical Sketching at Ballard Locks. We're in the back half of summer, but the flowers are still blooming! Come draw them before the seasons turn! 🌺 Surprise! Native Moths of Seattle, an exhibition and book of scientific illustrations by Francesca Udeschini featuring ten of the Seattle area’s most dazzling moth species, debuted alongside The Mind of Plants last Thursday! Native Moths features beautiful framed giclée prints of Francesca's digital illustrations, and The Mind of Plants has an amazing variety of work, from huge paintings to collages to sculptures to block prints and more! Coming Up!Thursday, July 27th, 11:00am: B̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ y̶o̶u̶r̶ p̶l̶a̶n̶t̶s̶ t̶o̶ l̶i̶f̶e̶ w̶i̶t̶h̶ w̶a̶t̶e̶r̶ a̶n̶d̶ w̶a̶t̶e̶r̶c̶o̶l̶o̶r̶ a̶t̶ B̶o̶t̶a̶n̶i̶c̶a̶l̶ W̶a̶t̶e̶r̶c̶o̶l̶o̶r̶s̶!̶ SOLD OUT, but fear not, August and September classes just got scheduled! Friday, July 28th, noon: L̶e̶a̶r̶n̶ t̶o̶ c̶a̶r̶v̶e̶ y̶o̶u̶r̶ o̶w̶n̶ b̶l̶o̶c̶k̶ a̶t̶ B̶l̶o̶c̶k̶ P̶r̶i̶n̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ a̶n̶d̶ m̶a̶k̶e̶ b̶e̶a̶u̶t̶i̶f̶u̶l̶ p̶r̶i̶n̶t̶s̶, e̶a̶c̶h̶ u̶n̶i̶q̶u̶e̶ i̶n̶ t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ o̶w̶n̶ w̶a̶y̶!̶ SOLD OUT. Sign up for the next one? Or if you've taken this before and want some advanced techniques, our Reduction Block Printing class is coming up too! Friday, July 28th, 6:00pm: Hang out with your fellow queers at our monthly QUeer ARTists meet-up, QU-ART! This is a free event, but contributions are welcomed and appreciated!! Saturday, July 29th, 11:00am: S̶̶t̶̶a̶̶r̶̶t̶̶ p̶̶u̶̶t̶̶t̶̶i̶̶n̶̶g̶̶ y̶̶o̶̶u̶̶r̶̶ a̶̶r̶̶t̶̶ o̶̶n̶̶ p̶̶a̶̶t̶̶c̶̶h̶̶e̶̶s̶̶, c̶̶l̶̶o̶̶t̶̶h̶̶e̶̶s̶̶, a̶̶n̶̶d̶̶ m̶̶o̶̶r̶̶e̶̶!̶̶ C̶r̶̶e̶̶a̶̶t̶̶e̶̶ y̶̶o̶̶u̶̶r̶̶ o̶̶w̶̶n̶̶ 5̶̶" x̶̶ 7̶̶" d̶̶e̶̶s̶̶i̶̶g̶̶n̶̶ u̶̶s̶̶i̶̶n̶̶g̶̶ s̶̶c̶̶r̶̶e̶̶e̶̶n̶̶ w̶̶r̶̶i̶̶t̶̶i̶̶n̶̶g̶̶ f̶̶l̶̶u̶̶i̶̶d̶̶ a̶̶n̶̶d̶̶ s̶̶c̶̶r̶̶e̶̶e̶̶n̶̶ b̶̶l̶̶o̶̶c̶̶k̶̶i̶̶n̶̶g̶̶ f̶̶l̶̶u̶̶i̶̶d̶̶ t̶̶o̶̶ p̶̶a̶̶i̶̶n̶̶t̶̶ o̶̶n̶̶ y̶̶o̶̶u̶̶r̶̶ a̶̶r̶̶t̶̶ a̶t̶ D̶I̶Y̶ S̶c̶r̶e̶e̶n̶ P̶r̶i̶n̶t̶i̶n̶g̶!̶ SOLD OUT. Sign up for the next one? Sunday, July 30th, noon: Give those restless teens a weekly dose of creative camaraderie and let a pro answer all their art questions at Teen Open Studio! Monday, August 31st, 11:00am: Wrap up the month with a morning at the Locks with Botanical Sketching! DIY Art Supplies Summer Camp! August 1-4, 10am-1pm daily. Watercolors from clay, a sketchbook designed especially by you, ink the exact color you want? You'll create all this and more with Push/Pull's resident art supply creator, Maxx! Acrylic Painting Summer Camp! August 1-4, 3-6pm daily. Learn what acrylic paint is, how to mix colors, introduction to pigment names and attributes, how to select and clean your brushes, using palette/painting knives, mediums, painting surfaces, and methods of painting, and so much more! There's one spot left for this August session, but there are also spaces available in a shorter, 3-class series in September! As you can see, classes do sell out! Plan ahead, give yourself something to look forward to, and don't miss out! Book Spotlight: Native Moths of Seattle ;)Printed by Push/Pull Press, Native Moths of Seattle is a 6.5" x 8", 40-page book featuring 10 moth species you can find right here in our city! Learn about the little known wonders of your summer backyard! New & Restocked!
We've got two exciting adult "summer camp"s this week! These are multi-class series that really get in-depth with a topic, allowing you to come away with TONS of newfound knowledge and inspiration! Color Exploration Camp goes deep into how pigments interact with each other in paint, but you'll also create and mix your own pigments, paints, and inks, to get a truly practical understanding of it all! Never be confused about how and why two colors somehow make brown again! (July 18-21, 10am-noon daily) Making Marks Camp will help you discover new drawing techniques, different ways of approaching a drawing, and inspiration, but it's also great lessons in tackling perfectionism, art block, and your inner critic. From beginners to seasoned pros, everyone has something to gain in this series! (July 18-21, 2-4pm daily) Both camps start TOMORROW, Tuesday, July 18th, so snag those last spots ASAP! Also this week!Tuesday, July 18th, 6:00pm: For real this time, Ballard Sketch Team meets at Hattie's Hat because they aren't closed early for some holiday! Wednesday, July 19th, 6:00pm: P̶e̶r̶f̶e̶c̶t̶ f̶o̶r̶ a̶ c̶r̶e̶a̶t̶i̶v̶e̶ d̶a̶t̶e̶ n̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ o̶r̶ j̶u̶s̶t̶ m̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ n̶e̶w̶ f̶r̶i̶e̶n̶d̶s̶, S̶h̶r̶i̶n̶k̶ n̶' D̶r̶i̶n̶k̶ a̶l̶l̶o̶w̶s̶ a̶l̶l̶ t̶o̶ p̶a̶r̶t̶a̶k̶e̶ i̶n̶ t̶h̶e̶ s̶a̶t̶i̶s̶f̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ a̶r̶t̶ o̶f̶ m̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ s̶m̶a̶l̶l̶e̶r̶ a̶n̶d̶ t̶u̶r̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶ i̶n̶t̶o̶ j̶e̶w̶e̶l̶r̶y̶, m̶a̶g̶n̶e̶t̶s̶, a̶n̶d̶ m̶o̶r̶e̶!̶ SOLD OUT. Sign up for the next one? Thursday, July 20th, 6:00pm: The Mind of Plants's Opening Reception! Come see what everyone's favorite chapter and plant from the book was and how they interpreted it! 🌱 Friday, July 21st, 6:00pm: After a month off, Figure Drawing returns! Join us at Rose & Orange Studios next door artist company, solid sketching time, and if desired, gentle guidance. Friday, July 21st, 7:00pm: Want a more structured class (and some drinks) to go with your artist hang-out time? Lisa Jordan is hosting Watercolor on the Rocks at Hattie's Hat! Paint what you're drinking! 🍸 Saturday, July 22nd, 2:00pm: What is gouache? How do you use it? and most importantly, how do you pronounce it?!?! All About Gouache will answer these questions and more! 🎨 Sunday, July 23rd, noon: Give those restless teens a weekly dose of creative camaraderie and let a pro answer all their art questions at Teen Open Studio! Sunday, July 23rd, 3:00pm: Love ‘em or hate ‘em, bugs play an important role in our ecosystem and built environments. Plus, they are super fun to draw and make great subjects for your next art piece! Appreciate their fun shapes and maybe overcome some squeamishness at Draw Bugs! 🐞 Monday, July 24th, 11:00pm: Summer continues to bless us with an abundance of sunshine and flowers. Come out and enjoy it at Botanical Sketching! 🌷 Plan and peek ahead! A few other multi-class summer camp for grown-ups still have space, and we recently added a fun team up event with our neighbours at Monster! Will you have the cooler project or will your kid?? Book Spotlight: Dr. Faith G. HarperDr. Faith G. Harper, LPC-S, ACS, ACN is a bad-ass, funny lady with a PhD. She’s a licensed professional counselor, board supervisor, certified sexologist, applied clinical nutritionist, and has been an adjunct professor and a TEDx presenter. She is the bestselling author of the book Unf#ck Your Brain and many other popular zines and books on subjects such as anxiety, depression, boundaries and grief -- and we're proud to carry many of them! New & Restocked!
Get ready for our upcoming group show, featuring work from a variety of artists inspired by our 2023 Book Club pick, The Mind of Plants! The hefty anthology includes a number of plants, from coffee to passionflower to cannabis and white pine! What did each artist end up choosing? What ended up on their canvases and paper? Join us at the opening reception July 20th, from 6-9pm, to find out! The show will be up through August 16th. RSVP on Facebook or Meetup! THIS WEEKEND☀️Midsummer Market!The time has come! It's this weekend! We're gonna have SO MANY cool vendors, artists, crafters, makers, and more! There will be live caricatures, a photo booth by an Emmy Award winning photographer, a children's book reading and signing, and more!! Make plans to come out one or both days to have a blast! This Week!Wednesday, July 12th, 6:00pm: Join Max (we have a new, different Max-with-one-x now! yes, it's very confusing!) at Community Craft Night and learn now to do suminagashi, the art of marbling paper! Transform a boring sheet with inks and dyes for use in art, scrapbooking, or whatever else you wanna use it for! Thursday, July 13th, 11:00am: Join the og Maxx-with-two-x's for Botanical Watercolors! What specimen will there be to paint this week? 🌷 Saturday, July 15th, noon: Want to get good at making knots? 😏 Get started with Macrame Air Plant Hangers! Get the basics down and bring home a nice home for your fav plant, too! Sunday, July 16th, noon: Got a creative teen who has a bunch of art questions or who may just want some company while they work on a project? Send them to our Summer Open Studio! Saturday & Sunday, July 15-16th, noon-6pm: Come to Midsummer Market after those aforementioned classes and sessions and check out all these awesome local artists! Monday, July 17th, 11:00am: After a busy weekend, take the start of the week nice and easy with Botanical Sketching! Peek ahead! We've still got space in a few upcoming multi-class summer camp for grown-ups and we just added a fun team up event with our neighbours at Monster! Will you have the cooler project or will your kid?? Book Spotlight: Velo VixenAmong other things, the classic Seattle to Portland bike ride is also this weekend, but crazy distance riding isn't the only sort of biking out there, and it's definitely not just for sporty dudebros! Get inspired with these two issues of Rachel Krause's Velo Vixen! These are thoughtful, useful, well-edited compilation of essays, stories, and images in classic zine cut and paste style. Contributions include essays with names like “rage on!” and “why bikes > sex,” a visual tutorial for converting a child trailer to a cargo hauler, statements by a bunch of different women about what they feel like before and after a bike ride, and tons of inspiring vintage images of women on two wheels. New & Restocked!
Put off the hot dogs and skip the explosives, it's time to get organized! Instead of setting the state on fire during optimal wildfire conditions, light the fire under elected officials' asses! Stop by the store TODAY, July 4th, to write postcards to your electeds! 🔥 📫 Or, get registered to vote. We provide the postcards, supplies, registrations and postage. 🖨️ Contribute to or create your own zine. We'll print and distribute. 🫂 Or just hang out among local artists that support everyone's right to be who they are and to choose their time to (or not to) parent/birth. Reminders! 🔔July 10: Deadline for Mind of Plants group show submissions! July 15-16: Midsummer Market! The date is saved right? Vendor applications are closed! We'll post the full list of vendors soon, but in the meantime you can keep an eye on Bal-Art's Instagram account or the Facebook event page for daily spotlights! Plan out your shopping list! Rad Red Riso Deal is still going!We're still trying to drain that drum of bright red ink! 40 red prints for $20! Make your zine really stand out among all the black-on-whites out there! This Week!TODAY, July 4th, noon - 6:00pm: Channel anger and indignation into political action. Come register to vote, write letters, and make zines! F#$! the Fourth! T̶O̶N̶I̶G̶H̶T̶, J̶u̶l̶y̶ 4̶t̶h̶, 6̶:̶0̶0̶p̶m̶:̶ H̶a̶n̶g̶ o̶u̶t̶ a̶t̶ H̶a̶t̶t̶i̶e̶'s̶ H̶a̶t̶ w̶i̶t̶h̶ y̶o̶u̶r̶ f̶e̶l̶l̶o̶w̶ a̶r̶t̶i̶s̶t̶s̶ f̶o̶r̶ s̶o̶m̶e̶ c̶h̶i̶l̶l̶ d̶r̶a̶w̶i̶n̶g̶ t̶i̶m̶e̶ a̶t̶ B̶a̶l̶l̶a̶r̶d̶ S̶k̶e̶t̶c̶h̶ T̶e̶a̶m̶!̶ Whoops, Hattie's closes at 3pm today. Enjoy your evening! Wednesday, July 5th, 6:00pm: Still got some woes to work out? Bring your fiber projects and tell us about them at Stitch n' Bitch! This is a free meetup, but you can pay-what-you-want to support our community programs! Saturday, July 8th, 10:00am: L̶e̶a̶r̶n̶ h̶o̶w̶ t̶o̶ c̶r̶e̶a̶t̶e̶ d̶e̶s̶i̶g̶n̶s̶ f̶o̶r̶ R̶i̶s̶o̶g̶r̶a̶p̶h̶ p̶r̶i̶n̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ w̶i̶t̶h̶o̶u̶t̶ g̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ d̶i̶g̶i̶t̶a̶l̶. Y̶o̶u̶'l̶l̶ c̶r̶e̶a̶t̶e̶ a̶ o̶n̶e̶-̶p̶a̶g̶e̶ d̶e̶s̶i̶g̶n̶ f̶o̶r̶ t̶w̶o̶ o̶f̶ t̶h̶e̶ a̶v̶a̶i̶l̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ i̶n̶k̶s̶ f̶o̶r̶ o̶u̶r̶ R̶i̶s̶o̶g̶r̶a̶p̶h̶ m̶a̶c̶h̶i̶n̶e̶s̶. Sold out! This class occurs every-other-month, so get in on the next one! Monday, July 10th, 11:00am: Get a relaxing but productive start to your week going with Botanical Sketching! Summer is in high gear! We've got a bunch of multi-class summer camp for grown-ups coming up! These are a great way to get deep quickly in a particular topic or medium. Whether you're a beginner looking to get started or someone familiar with a subject but want to go deeper, we've got you covered! 🌞 Book Spotlight: STICKFORMSDiscover the world of stickforms with this COMPLETE COLLECTION! Follow Stick guy as he gets to know Stickland and its strange denizens, like Tricycle, The Great Spirit of Sage, and others! This volume includes all the single-page STICK GUY COMICS, plus a variety of short stories. Indie publishing at its finest, collecting years of work! New & Restocked!
This Week!Wednesday, June 28, 6:00pm: Join Gayle for this month's out-of-this-world Paint n' Sip at Ballard Beer Co! Thursday, June 29, 11:00am: What beautiful specimen will there be at Botanical Watercolors this week? S̶i̶g̶n̶ u̶p̶ a̶n̶d̶ f̶i̶n̶d̶ o̶u̶t̶!̶ What? Sold out?? Guess you'll have to try for next week! 😮 Friday, June 30, noon: Learn the joy of carving your own block and printing with it at this month's Block Printing Workshop! Friday, June 30, 6:00pm: Close out Pride Month with some chill art time with ya fellow queers at QU-ART! This is a free meetup, but you can pay-what-you-want to support our community programs! Saturday, July 1, noon: M̶a̶k̶e̶ a̶ p̶a̶i̶r̶ o̶f̶ a̶w̶e̶s̶o̶m̶e̶ e̶a̶r̶r̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ b̶y̶ N̶e̶e̶d̶l̶e̶-̶F̶e̶l̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶!̶ Sold out! Saturday, July 1, 2:30pm: Want to learn how to make your own sketchbooks or do some fancy binding work on your next zine? Come to our Book Binding Workshop! Monday, July 3, 11:00am: Bask in the late morning sun and take some of that beautiful with you with Botanical Sketching! Book Spotlight: We’re Still Here: An All Trans Comics AnthologyWinner of the 2019 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Anthology, We're Still Here is the first book of its kind. Featuring the work of over 50 transgender and nonbinary creators, this groundbreaking anthology tells authentic stories of trans experience that are by turns serious, silly, informative, and strange. New & Restocked!
Check your email for tracking or maybe even your real mailbox if you're near! This month's subscription boxes are going out today! Not in on the fun? Sign up before you forget to get in on the next round of packages! They ship on the 20th of each month, and you can choose between an art box, a zine/comix box, or a deluxe box with both! You can even buy a one-off box without a subscription to see if you like it! A successful parade!👹Congrats to Marie for completing her residency and FILLING THE WHOLE WALL! These huge pieces have such a power presence at the front of the store, so be sure to swing by and see it in person if you can! The International Examiner put out a really awesome article about Marie and her show, and the print edition will include photos from the reception as well! You should be able to pick up a copy in your neighborhood! This Week!TONIGHT, June 20, 6:00pm: Ballard Sketch Team meets at Hattie's Hat for an always-fun hang out! All welcome! Saturday, June 24, 11:apm: Love creepy crawlies? Want to learn to love creepy crawlies? Join RJ this Saturday to draw some bugs! 🪲 Monday, June 26, 11:00am: Meet Maxx at Ballard Locks for another fun session of Botanical Sketching! This gloomy Juneuary weather is suppose to clear up by then... 🌺 😎JUST SCHEDULED! 🥾We added another session of the multi-day Procreate Boot Camp! Come learn the art of iPad's most popular art app, August 7-10! Summer Teen Open StudioTeens out of school for the summer? Want them to channel all that youthful energy into something creative? We're hosting Teen Open Studio on Sundays through the summer! These aren't structured classes, but teens are encouraged to bring projects to work on or art questions to ask. These sessions are pay-what-you're-able, with all proceeds supporting our ongoing teen programs. ♥ Book Spotlight: A Wave Blue World
New & Restocked!
As our 2023 Artist Residency draws to a close, we're thrilled to share the amazing work Marie has been working on over the last several months.
Gendai Hyakki Yagyo: Modern Day Demon Parade is a new take on the old Japanese folktales -- taking current events and reimagining them as ghost stories told from the future to imagine how ghosts of the past are navigating in our current world. We hope you'll join us THIS THURSDAY, June 15th, from 6-9pm for the opening reception! Red Risograph Reduction!
We're trying to drain our drum of bright red riso ink! Get 40 red-only riso prints for just $20 while the ink lasts!
More color swatches and a 4-color template were recently added to our Riso Printing info page too, so check it out! This Week!
TONIGHT, June 13, 7:15pm: It's group critique time for our Mind of Plants Group Show! Bring in your ideas, sketches, and works in progress, and see what everyone else is doing for the show!
Wednesday, June 14, 6:00pm: Come hang at Community Craft Night and decorate a silk scarf to your liking! Make an awesome addition to your wardrobe or something nice to gift! Thursday, June 15, 6:00pm: It's the Opening Reception for our Artist in Residence, Marie Okuma Johnston's show! Saturday, June 17, 2:00pm: Learn how to pronounce gouache and other secret knowledge at All About Gouache!
Don't forget about those upcoming Summer Camps (for grown-ups!)! Spots are limited, so mark off those dates and get in on them soon!
Subscription Boxes!
It's almost that time of the month! Subscription boxes go out on the 20th, so sign-up soon if you want something to look forward to before the end of the month!
We've moved subscription box sign-ups to our online store for easier checkout and subscription management -- you can now also get a one-off box! -- but existing subs are still valid in the existing system, no worries. ♥ Book Spotlight: Cinema Sewer
Cinema Sewer was a movie magazine published by Robin Bougie annually or biannually from 1997-2021, covering classic films of adult, horror, and exploitation genres. Its long run has ended, but that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy those back issues! So much horrific history to be had!
New & Restocked
TONIGHT, June 6, 6:00pm: 6/6 at 6pm! Ballard Sketch Team sketches again! All welcome! Wednesday, June 7, 6:00pm: Bring your in-progress fiber projects and settle in for Stitch n' Bitch, the very finest of productive complaining sessions! Thursday, June 8, 11:00am: Gaze upon our fine floral specimen of the week and skill up your Botanical Watercolors! Thursday, June 8, 6:00pm: Get those proud ink stains on your hands as you dive into some tried, true, and inspiring inking techniques while Inking With Maxx! Saturday's Risograph Design for Procreate is SOLD OUT, but you can hop on August's session of this bimonthly class! We've also just scheduled a Watercolor Summer Camp! Our multi-session summer camp series are going fast, so don't wait if you see one you like! Reminder: The Mind of PlantsDon't forget! Submissions are due on July 10th for The Mind of Plants group show! If you have some work in progress, bring it to the Peer Review & Critique session next Tuesday! Reminder: SPITE! & CACOETHESWhere does the time go? Stop in and see the excellent works of Neil Devlin and Jess Ray before it's too late! Book Spotlight!Check out the latest from Julia Wald! The Ides of March is a full-color short comic dedicated to Seattle's late night bar scene. Pour over the luscious details of Wald's environments and see all that the night life's got to offer! New & Restocked!
New in are a bunch of Speedball dip pen and nib sets and cool gold leafing supplies and resources!
We've also restocked various sizes of Fluid Watercolor Blocks and lots of drawing pads/sketchbooks, including artist favs Handbook Journal Co and Kona Gray! |
NewsHerein are news and updates about hours, closures, calls for art, show openings, and more! Also, intermittent comix, zine, and art supply reviews!
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