One of the hardest things about starting a new hobby is figuring out exactly what stuff you need to get going. We wanted to put together a quick series of posts looking at the essentials for different crafty pursuits. Up this time: watercolor painting, the perfect apartment-sized art pursuit. 

Paint

We love these Reeves liquid watercolor sets. They'll last you forever, and the quality of the paint is really nice for the price. 

Brushes

Everyone seems to have their own favorite brush, but when you're starting out, you probably don't want to spend $20 or $30 on a single brush. I like these value packs from Princeton, but no matter which you get, a good rule of thumb is to make sure the brush doesn't shed bristles as you work. 

Paper

We're big fans of Canson cold-pressed watercolor paper, especially the 9"x12" size. It's a great value for nice, thick, absorbent paper, and you can get about 30 sheets for $10. 

Artist Board + Tape

Because you're getting your paper soaking wet when painting with watercolors, it has a tendency to roll up on you. Enter an artist board and artist tape. Taping your paper down will save you a lot of stress, and as an added bonus, it'll give you a neat white border all along the edge. 

Palette

There are tons of palettes out there, but a basic plastic one should serve you just fine as you're getting started. Painting with watercolor involves a lot of mixing and blending, so you'll appreciate having lots of little separated areas in which to do you mixing. 

Here's all the individual materials compiled into a handy Amazon Shopping list, though of course you may want to shop around for better pricing! 

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links; they help us pay the bills!

If you're in charge of gifts for your office, volunteer group, or even just a few friends this holiday season, send us an email, and we can hook you up with a discount on gift certificate packages of $250 and up.

You can purchase any amount of certificates in any denomination, and we can even print and mail them over to you. 

Check out this great kids workshop happening at our Windsor Terrace space on Nov 18th: 

Join us as FROM WONDER will be bringing some of the great outdoors inside in their Natural Wonders workshop. Children ages 4-10 are invited to explore and create pieces inspired by sculptor, photographer and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy. Each child should bring a found object from their adventures. They will share its story, and then select from an array of natural objects to conceptualize a piece. They will then create art installations and photograph their finalized work.

 Details:

• This workshop will take place at Brooklyn Brainery, located at 1233 Prospect Ave. in Windsor Terrace
• Designed for ages 4-10
• The cost of this 3 hour workshop is $125 per child. This includes a 11x14 print of your child’s creation, printed on archival photo paper
• S P A C E is limited! Visit www.fromwonder.com for registration information

Hosted by From Wonder

www.fromwonder.com

https://www.fromwonder.com/workshops/

We're excited to welcome back Brainery teacher extraordinaire Christine Garvey this December for a ton of art making and art-related classes. 

Check out the full list below and sign up quickly, as these courses usually sell out. Also be sure to check out Christine's Tuscan Drawing Course coming up this spring in Italy.  

DIY Printmaking - Dec 17 in Prospect Heights  SOLD OUT

Drawing with Ink - Dec 19 in Windsor Terrace

Alternative Drawing Processes - Dec 28 in Prospect Heights

Collected Images: The Collage Artist Book - Dec 29 in Windsor Terrace

Monoprinting - Dec 30 in Prospect Heights

Creative Grant Writing - Dec 31 in Prospect Heights

We're hosting an awesome last-minute holiday gift fair, featuring Brainery teachers and their wonderful creations.

You'll be able to shop an assortment of gifts from flowers to food and ceramics to home goods and much more. Full vendor list is coming soon! 

RSVP on this page to be entered to win a $50 shopping spree at the fair! We'll pick a winner on Friday, December 22 and email you if you've won. Check in with us at the fair and we'll hook you up with $50 worth of the goods of your choice! 

We're looking for someone to help out around the Brainery. It's part-time (approx 10-20 hours a week, $14/hour), entirely at the Brainery, and involves all kinds of super glamorous* and not-so-glamorous things. 

• Being in charge of the main space in Prospect Heights (190 Underhill) during classes on the following days:

   - Saturday, daytime (6-7 hours, exact timing varies a bit week to week, generally 10-6ish)
   - Wednesday evenings 5:30-10:30pm

• Keeping the space clean and organized - set up, material prep, and cleaning. You'll need to be able to move tables, carry stuff up and down the stairs, sweep, mop, do dishes and the like. Lots of cleaning! 

• Being in charge of the Windsor Terrace location (1233 Prospect Ave, off the F/G) an additional 1-3 days per week (this could be a mix of weekday evenings and Sundays)

• Being very detail oriented and on time! 

• Some computer work: updating the website and email correspondence, to be completed onsite during your shifts

To apply: Send us an email to jobs@brooklynbrainery.com. Attach a resume if you want (pdf please!), and let us know why you're interested in the gig. College degrees not required. 

Apply by Monday, November 27, 2017 We hope to hire and begin training ASAP. Please no follow up phone calls. 

*Just kidding, none of it is very glamorous! 

So, so many of our wonderful teachers have published books over the years that you can probably find one to please everyone on your holiday shopping list (seriously). 

Check them out below:

Eight Flavors by Sarah Lohman

The Flower Chef: A Modern Guide to Do-It-Yourself Floral Arrangements by Carly Cylinder

This guide to floral design will tell you everything you need to know about flower arranging, with gorgeous images throughout.

Gowanus: Brooklyn's Curious Canal by Joseph Alexiou

Discover the forgotten origins of this infamous New York waterway and learn about how the Gowanus has affected the culture of Brooklyn.

Infested by Brooke Borel

Science writer Brooke Borel combines storytelling and scientific expertise to reveal the history of the dreaded yet fascinating bed bug.  

The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking by Brooke Borel

This readable yet thorough guide is the perfect gift for the journalist, editor, or news junkie in your life.

Creative Wax Carving: A Modern Approach to an Ancient Craft with 15 Jewelry Projects by Emilie Shapiro

Have someone on your list who makes jewelry (or wants to)? Emilie has you covered with her how-to wax carving guide. 

From First Kiss to Forever: A Scientific Approach to Love by Marisa Cohen

How do we fall in and out of love? What goes into selecting a mate? Marisa will explain it all. 

Concrete New York by Allison C. Meier

Check out this great kids workshop happening at our Windsor Terrace space on Nov 18th: 

Join us as FROM WONDER will be bringing some of the great outdoors inside in their Natural Wonders workshop. Children ages 4-10 are invited to explore and create pieces inspired by sculptor, photographer and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy. Each child should bring a found object from their adventures. They will share its story, and then select from an array of natural objects to conceptualize a piece. They will then create art installations and photograph their finalized work.

 Details:

• This workshop will take place at Brooklyn Brainery, located at 1233 Prospect Ave. in Windsor Terrace
• Designed for ages 4-10
• The cost of this 3 hour workshop is $125 per child. This includes a 11x14 print of your child’s creation, printed on archival photo paper
• S P A C E is limited! Visit www.fromwonder.com for registration information

Hosted by From Wonder

www.fromwonder.com

https://www.fromwonder.com/workshops/

Ahh, macrame. That oh-so-70's hobby is new again, and it's all the rage on Instagram. If you've been enticed by the lovely images and want to dive in to the world of decorative knotting (seriously, it's addictive) but aren't sure where to start, read on. 

The great thing about macrame is that you really don't need all that much stuff, just some rope (or cord, or yarn), and something to hang it off of. We'll discuss a couple of fun additions below as well. It's the perfect apartment craft - relatively small and not at all messy. 

Dowel

Before you can start knotting, you'll need a rod of some sort to hang your cord off of. This can be anything from a wooden craft dowel to a stick you found in the park to a thin metal pipe. It's all up to you and the look you're going for. 

Cord

Everyone who macrames seems to like using a different cord, all of which is to say that you can use whatever you like! 

For wall hangings, we use the 3mm natural cotton cord from Niroma Studio, pictured in the photo above. It's nice and soft and won't hurt your hands while you're working, which is more important than it might sound at first! Niroma Studio also offers a range of lovely shades if you're looking to make a brighter piece. 

For plant hangers, we like using t-shirt yarn (pictured below). It's super strong, chunky, and looks great. Unfortunately, t-shirt yard can be hard to find at your local craft store, but fear not, we know a great source. The folks at Fab-U-Loop Yarn have an ever-changing range of colors and patterns to choose from. 

Washi Tape

A lot of people will do macrame standing up, with their piece taped to a wall, but we like sitting down and taping your piece to a table. It's way more comfortable! To tape down your dowel and strings as you work, you'll want to use washi tape. We especially like Scotch brand washi tape, as it's extra strong! 

Decorative Elements

If you want to liven up your macrame piece, there are a few simple options to work in. We like using simple wooden beads - just be sure your bead has a large enough hole for the cord to slip through. My favorite beads come from Artist & Craftsman in Park Slope, and while they're not available online, they always have them in store. 

To add a little more modern flair to your work, use small copper or brass pipes. They're readily available at the hardware store and are guaranteed to look great. 

this post contains amazon affiliate links to products we love! 

Congrats to Jenna and Ashi! 

In honor of this long, long winter ending, we thought it was time for a gift certificate giveaway. We'll set two winners up with a $30 gift certificate to help you get your learn on!

To enter, just leave a comment below letting us know your favorite NYC spring activity by Friday, April 20 at 5pm eastern time. We'll select the winners at random and let you know via email/facebook. You have to be 18+ and live in the US, btw. 

If you hate FB but still want to participate, just shoot us an email at contest@brooklynbrainery.com

Boring legalese rules? We've got them right here.

One of our favorite people, the very talented Carly Cylinder, is debuting a show on Craftsy all about floral arranging, called "The Flower Kitchen."

If you've taken a class with Carly or have her book, you know she's a ton of fun to spend time with and has a wonderful way with flowers, and we're excited to see her take it to the internet! 

You can watch her new show through Craftsy Unlimited, where there are something like 1300 other classes you can watch too, plus they offer a 7 day free trial. Cool! 

This post contains affiliate links

A recent collection of videos and articles from Brainery teachers!

A Brief History of Irish Food lecture - the always-wonderful Sarah Lohman streamed her talk on the history of Irish food back in March, and you can watch it on Facebook anytime!

America's Mysterious Lost Tree - Allison Meier writes about the Franklinia alatamaha, a tree of mysterious origin that only exists in cultivation

Suminagashi Dreams: Episode I - artist Linh My Truong creates mesmerizing videos of suminigashi, Japanese paper marbling, in action. This will definitely be the most relaxing ten minutes of your day.

Hey Park Slope (and beyond!), our friends at Private Picassos host a ton of adults-only art classes in their 5th Ave studio. You can even BYOB!

Their June offerings include watercolors, acrylic painting, and printmaking, and you can get all the details here. 

Hey art lovers! We have a few art history classes coming up in June that we wanted to share with you:

June 7 - A History of Art Crime 

In this talk, we'll explore the history of art crime, from famous cases like the Isabella Stewart Gardner theft and the story of the Ghent Altarpiece recovery, to current issues with the black market.

June 10 - Women Artists You Should Know, Part 2 

Join us to learn about the lives and works of six women artists that changed art history. These creative and dynamic women, changed art forever and fought for their place in the narrative.

June 27 - The Pope DOES Wear a Funny Hat: Symbolism in Medieval and Renaissance Art

Ever wondered why the Pope wears a hat shaped like a fish, or why baby Jesus is depicted squeezing a tiny bird to death? Now is your chance to find out!

Learn about the history behind well known symbols in western Medieval and Renaissance art.

Want to get your hands dirty and relive summer camp with some tie dye this summer? You absolutely should, and it's surprisingly easy. 

Fiber Reactive Dye

The bright colors you may associate with tie dye are known as fiber reactive procion dyes. They come in just about every color, and our favorite source for them is Dharma Trading. They're also available from Jacquard at your local art store, or on Amazon. Fiber reactive dyes come in powder form, and you mix them up into a liquid at home.

Squeeze Bottles

Great, now that you have your dye, you'll need some plastic squeeze bottles, the same kind you'd use for condiments at a diner. You'll mix up your dye directly in these bottles and use them to apply the correct amount of dye to your fabric. 

Urea

You'll add urea to your fiber reactive dye mix (along with water). While you're dyeing, the urea helps keep your fabric damp so the colors you add are more vibrant. 

Your Dyeables! 

A good rule of thumb is to use 100% cotton items when dyeing, but they can be surprisingly hard to find. I love white cotton napkins and Target's flour sack tea towels. Dharma has a huge selection of dyeables too! 

Soda Ash

Soda ash goes in your water soak bucket that you use to soak fabric and get it wet before dying. The soda ash helps the fabric soak up the dye better. 

Buckets

Do yourself a favor and get a couple $2 5 gallon pails at Lowe's. You'll use them for everything! 

Gloves

I'm not going to lie, some dishwashing or latex gloves are really great and keep you from having seriously dyed hands for days. 

And honestly, that's all! For a good how-to, check out Dharma Trading's site. 

this post contains amazon affiliate links! 

After stumbling upon a big feral cat colony in Sunset Park where none of the adults are fixed, we've been working to try and grab all of the adoptable kittens before they get too old to be socialized or sick from the elements. (Adults will be trapped and neutered as soon as we're able to get some spay/neuter spots at the ASPCA!). And let's just say, there were a whole lot of kittens born this summer. Soma's grabbed eight so far, and we know of at least two more still hiding out at the house.

Everyone on the block has been really supportive and wonderful about the cats and care deeply about them, so we're really happy to help get the adults neutered so they can live out their lives without worrying about raising families. If you'd like to help out, there are lots of ways to get involved! 

Foster Young Kittens 

We could really use some kitten fosters! If you're interested in fostering a pair of 5-6 week old kittens for a few weeks until they can get fixed, vetted, and adopted, please let us know by emailing fostering@brooklynbrainery.com.

Adopt Clementine

And if you're interested in adopting right away, one of the older kittens from the colony, Clementine, was just neutered and vetted and is ready to go home. He's about 4 months old, tested negative for FIV/FeLV and is a very handsome and sweet little creamsicle! Send us an email if you'd like to meet him! 

Support Cat Republic! 

If you're not able to foster or adopt but would like to help out with supplies and medicine for the kittens (they're hungry!) by making a donation to our nonprofit Cat Republic, we'd be ever so appreciative! We also have an Amazon wish listwith some of the kitten's favorites. 

We're also on Instagram at @catrepublic! 

We're coming to Park Slope this fall! Our new spot is in a lovely historic storefront on 8th Avenue + 11th Street, right off the F/G trains to 7th Ave. We have a great lineup of classes already planned (see below!) starting in mid-October. 

As you can probably imagine, opening a new spot is a challenge, and, as always, your support is what keeps us going.  If you'd like to help us with the new space, please join us for a class or purchase a gift certificate for a friend (or yourself!).

THANK YOU!

SOLD OUT October 9 Fall Mini Floral Wreaths - transform a grapevine base into a classic yet funky door wreath 
October 14 Intro to Backpacking - learn the skills necessary for solo or group backpacking
October 14 Writing Science Fiction - writing science fiction means writing about society, about culture, about love, failure, heartbreak, and joy
October 16 + 30 Block Printing on Textiles - learn to carve and print repeated designs on fabric
SOLD OUT October 17 Tarot Card Basics - unpack the mysteries and intuitive insights available through Tarot 
October 18 Haunted History: The Lost Franklin Expedition - In 1845, Captain John Franklin left England with two ships on a mission to discover the fabled Northwest Passage, but no one from his expedition ever returned
October 21 The Woodland Terrarium - creating a mini New York with leafy foliage, creeping moss, and lots of stones and bark
October 22 Fossil Hunting Near NYC - nothing beats the thrill of finding a fossil knowing that you are the first to set eyes on it since it was buried in mud eons ago (classroom session)
October 23 Long-Distance Hiking the Catskills - explore three multi-day hikes that cover different regions of the Catskills
October 24 Intro to Embroidery: Making a Sampler - learn eight essential stitches while making a decorative sampler
October 28 On the Spot: A Crash Course in Improv Comedy - try out supportive, fun and educational exercises to establish confidence to pursue further professional training, find your funny and ultimately command the stage
October 29 Buying Your First Home in NYC - from open houses to the closing table
October 29 Haunted History: Bog Bodies of Iron Age Europe - learn about the eerily well-preserved remains of hundreds of people found in the swamps and peaty wetlands of northern Europe
November 1 Fundamentals of Astrology - explore the signs, planets, houses and aspects and what these things signify in our lives
November 3 + 17 Intro to DSLR and Mirrorless Photography - how DSLRs work + photography basics
November 5   Pop Music Breakdown: "Paranoid Android" - what makes a song great?
November 10 Tarot Two - explore expanded tarot spreads and use the cards to divine timing
November 10Indoor Bonsai Growing - Learn the creative and philosophical art form with bonsai that will bring peace and happiness all year indoors
November 13 Interviewing People - tips and techniques for capturing great stories from your human subjects
starts November 17 Portrait Photography Essentials - amp up your portraiture skills in this streamlined, four-session course

Today we have a special guest post by longtime Brainery teacher Andrew Coletti, author of the blog Pass the Flamingo, all about about ancient food. Andrew has rounded up some of his favorite books for history buffs, and we hope they'll inspire you! 

Here are Andrew's recommendations! 

The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire by Jack Weatherford (2010)

I pretty much fell in love with Mongolia and its history after reading this book. Weatherford has written several books about Genghis Khan, but this one focuses on the oft-forgotten women of the Great Khan’s family: leaders and schemers, warriors and wrestling champions, and the queen called "the Wise" whose invasions necessitated the Great Wall of China.

Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West by Tom Holland (2005)

An account of the Greco-Persian Wars, the 5th-century BCE culture clash whose reverberations are still being felt today, this is one of the first books that got me excited about history. Holland’s description of the ancient world is as sweeping, epic and fantastical as Tolkien’s descriptions of Middle Earth, but he’s not shy about the gritty details, or pointing out connections to our modern biases and struggles.

The Nuns of Sant’Ambrogio: The True Story of a Convent in Scandal by Hubert Wolf (2013)

Long-suppressed court records found in a Vatican archive reveal a bizarre and shocking tale of murder, sex and corruption in a 19th-century Roman convent. The beautiful and twisted young abbess Maria Luisa is an unforgettable villain, and I’m still waiting for this story to be made into a movie.

Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky (1997)

The history of the codfish and the continent-spanning industry it created, complete with recipes and some sobering stats about our changing oceans and their threatened resources. Kurlansky’s other history books Salt and The Basque History of the World are also fascinating, and there is a high degree of crossover between them (the Basques were for centuries the world’s major suppliers of salted cod).

Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang (2013)

The much-maligned Cixi rose from a low-ranking concubine to become the power behind the throne in the final days of Imperial China (sometimes literally, as she would sit behind a curtain while listening to the government meetings of her figurehead Emperors). She’s not the most sympathetic figure, but she is fascinating, and this book portrays her best human qualities: her political genius, her love of beauty and art, and her grand vision for China’s future.

The Crimes of Elagabalus: The Life and Legacy of Rome’s Decadent Boy Emperor by Martijn Icks (2011)

Another biography that aims to shed new light on a historical figure with a bad reputation: the teenaged Roman Emperor Elagabalus, whose opulence, perversion and cruelty put Caligula and Nero to shame--or did they? Manipulated by his relatives, slandered by his enemies, and later canonized as a rock star-like visionary, the real Elagabalus emerges from beneath the hearsay and hyperbole.

News from the Empire [Noticias del imperio] by Fernando del Paso (1987)

This book is technically historical fiction, but it’s my absolute favorite example of that genre, so I felt compelled to include it. It tells the story of Maximilian and Carlota, the young 19th-century nobles who ruled, very briefly, as Emperor and Empress of Mexico, before being abandoned by their allies and succumbing to a tragic fate. Global events like the French invasions of Mexico and the outbreak of WWI are illustrated through the personal tragedies of their most powerful players. From chapter to chapter, Del Paso’s dreamlike prose drifts between writing styles, perspectives and points of view, anchored (if that’s the right word) by the ravings of the institutionalized former Empress.

*this post contains amazon affiliate links! 

Looking for a Brainery gift certificate? Read all the details and grab on here. 

You might remember Moonlight, the dumped cat with giant tumors, from our newsletter a few weeks back.

Thanksfully, she had the masses removed in early April, along with a ton of her teeth pulled, and both of the masses ended up being benign! Moonlight is doing great these days and working on gaining lots of weight, and she'd love to chill in a foster home where she doesn't have to deal with my other annoying cats.

Moonlight is a funny lady who loves sleeping in her cave most of the time, but she'll also talk your ear off while asking for head rubs. Let us know if you'd be interested in rooming with her after April 25th! If you can't foster but still want to contribute to her recovery, donations are more than happily accepted to our nonprofit, Cat Republic.