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I know what you’re thinking; I haven’t seen this before! What is this mystery newsletter at my front doorstep, on this scorching 36c Tuesday? Let me explain. The question I am most often asked is, “How’s the business going?”
The Bala Times is simply the answer to that, an occasional update on
the life & times of Bala Graphics. For those who may not know, Bala Graphics is the formation of two businesses;
Killing Time Studio (myself) and Cameron Macdonald’s Statement Signs.
After a year sharing a studio and working together on multiple projects with our complimentary skillset, we decided to make it official. So Bala Graphics was formed,
a team of 4 type nerds and signage wizards working under the same banner. |
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| Provincial Hotel, March 2025 |
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| But, that’s a story for another day.We’re here to tell you about what we’re currently working on, what we’re experimenting with & what’s killing our time. Pardon the pun.
Personally, I’ve just returned from 5 weeks overseas, ‘gallivanting around Europe’ as the boys have constantly reminded me of. I know they were just jealous of me taking in the sights, sounds & tastes of Barcelona and Morocco.
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| Sahara Desert Morocco, Jan 2026 |
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| AFLOAT Lacoste Takeover, January 2026. Photo by Parker Blain. |
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| The venue was awash with green & white with a floating tennis court and Crocodile themed bars. We temporarily re-branded the venues’ wayfinding & bar signage, including a 5.4m rooftop sign to be seen from the river and the Melbourne city skyline. |
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| AFLOAT Lacoste Takeover, January 2026. |
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| Kay, our casual Signage Technician, fills his other 2 days a week at a local bike shop, JRI Bikes. A little while ago, I took an old pushbike to Kay for a little TLC. The poor thing was so old and worn, it was a lost cause; so we decided to give it a paint job and fit it with a directional sign, so people could find our ‘hard-to-find’ office. Low and behold, the council came and issued a removal notice. So what did we do? What any self-respecting business in need of a little exposure would do…We bolted it to our roof. |
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| The Bala Bike on the Bala Studio Roof, Feb 2026 |
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| Here at Bala Graphics, there are a few things that really get the heart pumping. Two of them being good coffee & traditional signwriting. So when Padre Coffee asked us to paint some Milk Bar inspired signs to the Saint David Dairy in Collingwood, I started having heart palpitations. |
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| Padre Coffee at St David Dairy Fitzroy Entrance, Nov 2025 |
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| After a bit of back and forth with the design, the client opted for a simple black & white solution. All painted in a day; we love dry stroked and aged lettering! |
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| Padre Coffee at St David Dairy Fitzroy Kent St Side, Nov 2025 |
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| As good as coffee is, when the day is done; it’s time for another type of frothy beverage. These paper posters are constantly being updated with new specials and offerings from the ever evolving venue. A fun way to create temporary posters with style! |
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| Paddy’s Day at the Village Belle, Feb 2026 |
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| In case you didn’t see our Instagram posts…Don’t worry - not many people do, thanks Insta - we’ve been designing and printing some wallpapers for newly renovated pub builds in the city, Quarterhouse & Hickens Hotel. All designed, printed & laminated in-house and installed by Bala Graphics. |
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| Quarterhouse (left) and Hickens Hotel (right), Nov 2026 |
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| We even added some to our own office for some decoration and to get the boys practicing on the squeegee. This is the Hickens Hotel design with a gradient map. |
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| | Aside from that, we’ve been putting Kay’s 3D design skills to the test with our new Bambu Labs 3D printer. The capability of this machine is insane, and we’ve been toying with the idea of 3D printed letters and custom paint finishing. My favourite profile has been the bubble-face finish. Next step; building LED modules into the design. |
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| Sample letter from the Bala logo situated outside the office door, Dec 2025 |
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| Back in April 2024, I was commissioned by Scott Roberts from the Inkerman Hotel to paint a mural on the side of his historic pub. It was a dedication to the previous owner & jockey Billy Duncan, who rode Pharlap to a win at Randwick back in 1929. |
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| Inkerman Hotel Balston St Mural, April 2024 |
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| Our favourite publican is back again with a new venue, St Kilda’s iconic Dick Whittington Tavern. Watch this space to see how we bring our creative flare to this Chapel St landmark. |
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| Current signage for the Dick Whittington on Chapel St |
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| That’s all for now, folks! I hope you’ve enjoyed the first edition of The Bala Times. You can expect to see this newsletter arriving in your inbox quarterly. If this isn’t for you, feel free to unsubscribe. Until we see you again, be safe and stay tuned for the next edition. |
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