I’ve been to the store 3 times within the past 3 months to obtain supplies for college art courses focused on color theory and painting with acrylics. Each time I was helped by a different staff member and all of them were great. I informed them of my inexperience and told them what I needed for class. In turn, they explained the difference between materials available so I could balance budget and quality. They are definitely knowledgeable and happy to share their knowledge. I am grateful a local store of this quality is available. Definitely worth supporting.

Visited for the first time today and I’ve rarely been so warmly welcomed at a business. California Art Supply is amazing. This is a real treasure in the Bay Area. Ron and his staff are super friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Excellent selection of many items, no matter your medium, including many hard-to-find specialized tools and materials.

Love the folks that work here. Both are super knowledgeable about products in store and always help me find exactly what I’m looking for. Definitely have recommended this place to friends and family in the area and have become somewhat of a regular.

I love California Art Supply Company!They have a diverse selection of products and extremely knowledgeable, helpful, courteous and friendly staff. Such a pleasure to go there, even if I don’t “need” any particular supplies.

This place is great. Good selection of supplies and the staff is always very nice and incredibly helpful and knowledgable.

Thanks for the recommendations and customer service. Great selection, quality products. Be creative, be inspired.

-100% Best art supply store around.-super knowledgeable staff-they will know you by name each time you come in.- if you buy art supplies and haven’t bought from this place…do yourself a favor and get in to check it out and buy some of their great products.

The employees were very helpful and courteous. They easily helped me find exactly what I was looking for.

Great local resource with wonderful assortment and helpful staff. Great to have them local instead of having to wait for a Blick Shipment

Very welcoming and helpful staff. So many wonderful things to try out.

Knowledgeable and friendly employees, great selection of watercolor brushes which they let you try before buying! I wish I lived in this store - its art supply heaven.

The owner and staff are really helpful and if is always a good experience They are experienced artists and want you to have the right tool rather than just sell.

Great people, great place. Always friendly and helpful.

California Art Supply is the best place to go to for help/supplies for any art project. Ive been going there with my family for years and will continue to go because of the friendly knowledgeable staff. When I walk in they remember my name and ask about my family. My daughter LOVES to go and often spends her allowance on whatever art supply she has on her list. If you like to support local, California Art Supply is the place to shop for all you art needs!

Everyone here is always so helpful. I absolutely LOVE this store!!

Love this store, great products, and friendly knowledgeable staff.

Ignore the Boomer white male who works there. Hell mansplain things you have 0 questions about. The other staff seem nice, just ignore that leechy older man

Love this store. Airy space, all sorts of useful things, friendly staff, convenient location.

The people at California Art Supply are friendly and knowledgable. They have a good range of materials along with some fun items!

Great find.Absolutely amazing people.Good products.

I am in total like with California Art Supply. I have serious yet underdeveloped artistic talent, so when I shop for supplies I most certainly have a question or 3...They are always knowledgeable and super friendly, giving me good advice and ideas.Ca Art Supply is my Go to spot when creativity sparks!

So happy to be shopping locally and even happier to learn they have a Flax pedigree. I was heartbroken to learn they had to move to the East Bay (they already have real art supply stores). The Peninsula is a wasteland of Michaels, Joannes and Hobby Lobby with greatly unknowledgeable staff. We had a lovely experience at California Art Supply. They were always ready with an answer, steered me away from a product I didnt need and provided me with a seat when standing too long to wait for the husband to finish and cant wait to return. Thanks guys! Really appreciated!

A family member had made a holiday wish list of art supplies, but it was all links to buy the items on Amazon. I instead sent the list to California Art Supply, and within less than a day theyd put together a package that was as good as or better than the items on the Amazon list. I went to the store, they had all the items set aside for me, I paid with credit card and was done within minutes. Holiday shopping made easy! Thanks, California Art Supply!

Best art supply store in the Bay Area.

This is a wonderful place to visit for all your art supplies. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Every time I go, I learn something about art, painting, techniques, color ~ its great.

COVID safe business! They are always helpful and friendly! We love it here. Quality products.

They are like the Nordstrom of art supplies. Attentive, know their products, and nice. I only shop here. They guide you to the appropriate product so you save money through their knowledge of the product and commitment to you as person and artist. For example, I took a watercolor class. Watercolor paper is expensive. The owner suggested a non-archival pad of paper - beginners don’t need archival products - that cost the same as 2.5 watercolor paper pages. Moderate-sized store, but well-stocked and expert knowledge.

Service and selection always excellent. The hand sanitizer smelled amazing!

Staff was very helpful with technical information and guided me to the right products!

Lovely art supply shop, will be back and would recommend. Came to buy some hot-press Arches and ink, picked up a few extras in the process.*Service*: Friendly staff, excellent job safely wrapping a large piece of watercolor paper for crease-free transport home. Did a good job of limiting store capacity to ensure social distancing could be observed. Pleasing paintings at the easel display and other art examples give a sense of place.*Selection:* Not a huge warehouse, but a well-thought selection and should cover everything you need. (Didnt have the exact color Sepia we wanted, but covered 95% of what we were looking for in a recent COVID supply run.) Emphasis on more quality items vs. cheap junk, which in my book is a good thing.*Value*: Quite competitive -- prices for many things were better than Blick or what you would see on AMZN. Also, you should support your local supply shops for the excellent convenience and community benefits they offer.Note, the store was a little tricky to find if following navigation, because El Camino gets complex around this intersection. If you are driving southbound, its on the right side of the street and set-back some.

Very quaint and very friendly vendor. Found what I was looking for (screen printing emunsion); wish there were more supplies, but glad I could just drive over (not order and wait days). Major plus!!

It’s a lil adventure in watercolor selection every time I go there- they have a great range of hand painted watercolor swatches. Staff are knowledgeable and friendly and I appreciate feeling welcomed.

California Art Supply is an exceptionally well stocked store with high quality supplies and knowledgeable, friendly helpful staff. They also have a keen eye for whimsical and fantastical items that are always angling to get into your shopping basket!Def one of my happy places!!

Everything was super safe and made me feel so comfortable! I really appreciate this store and precautions they are taking.

It is the best/worst thing in my life that I live next to Cal Art Supply; even though prices are affordable, my wallet still hates me. But I absolutely love it here. These folks are super knowledgeable and intimately tied with the local art community. I struggle to imagine something they don’t know about art and art supplies.

Wonderful personal service - just went above and beyond what one experiences these days. I have never had a bad experience at this location. Bravo

They have a great quality and selection of art materials. I was able find rolls of watercolor paper. Other stores sell pre-cut stuff. I will shop here from now on.

Awesome art store! And really helpful staff. Love this place!

Awesome staff and owner.Always helpful and responsive.And opens early and 7 days a week.Support our small business community.

Excellent service! Fun and fast shopping. Love the art display too. Great pens, notebooks, art supplies and fun gifts!

This is the greatest store on earth, or, at the very least, in the Bay Area. This is an artist’s dream! There’s a huge selection of materials, and the owner, Ron, is consultative and helpful, guiding you to help you find what you are looking for. While sheltering in place has limited my store visits, I’m so happy to have options to support this business safely! The store is locally owned and is one of a kind!

In the middle of a commission and looked everywhere for a high quality miniatureoil paint brush and found it at California Art Supply! Great brushes, good price! Thank you!

I love this art supply store! The staff are knowledgeable, kind, and fun.

Great place for art supplies. Staff are friendly and I am really enjoying my new pandemic hobby.

I love this store, the people are very nice and more importantly knowledgeable. I have found everything I need for my artwork here.

Good selection, quality and costumer service!

Offered help when I came into the store but I knew where and what I wanted. Nice people, well versed in art, supples and their inventory.

This is a great store--they have a really extensive collection of stuff. I draw so Im focused on their pencils, papers, and related supplies and I have always found what Im looking for. The staff is REALLY friendly and helpful also. Shop here before just buying stuff on amazon--its worth it.

Best art store ever !

California Art Supply in Belmont, it’s one store that provides an experience that keeps bringing me back!Staff and Owner all are very helpful and knowledgeable, they will give you the time, support you need in buying your materials for your next project or Artwork. There is a great variety of supplies and inventory that covers all price ranges.Whenever I go to this store it’s so hard to leave as I want to buy everything. Lol!

This is the best art store! Everyone on staff is knowledgeable, friendly and so incredibly helpful! If they don’t have something in stock they will order it for you. They also stock the best art supplies on the market. I highly recommend this store.9

Simply the best art supplies and service around. Friendly, knowledgeable staff, quality supplies including things you won’t find anywhere else. None of the chains come even close to California Art Supply. Support your local businesses. It’s not only smart, productive, and enjoyable to shop here, in the age of Amazon eating up brick and mortar stores, it’s a moral obligation.

Everyone here is so helpful. Always have cool art products.

Love this shop. Really the best place on the Peninsula to get art supplies. Super friendly staff and very knowledgeable. Always worth a trip!

The best place for art and the best faculty of workers ever! Their very knowledgeable in every aspect! Recommended highly!

I love California Art Supply Co— they have the friendliest employees, very knowledgeable and helpful, and genuinely interested in helping you get a good value and the right products for your work

Great store with a very broad array of art materials. Wonderful staff, knowledgeable and hands-on helpful. Why drive to San Francisco when just about everything you’ll need is right here in San Mateo!

These guys are the best! Knowledgeable staff, great selection, competitive prices. I go out of my way to shop here rather than the 2 or 3 art supplies store closer to my home.

I am a photographer, not a traditional artist. I needed some white backgrounds for a shot. I cant even remember what its called but they had a bunch of it was really cheap and the people were really friendly and its just a wonderful little place. If youre an artist, you should come to this place because theyre very reasonably priced and have great service.

The best art store in the bay area in my opinion. Store is well lit, allowing you to view the true colours of the many, many paints pigments and colours they carry for many different techniques. There are also nice selections of imported paonts and supplies, as well as specialist items for book binding, leather paonting, alcohol inking, textiles and more. The location may seem small but it has a treasure trove of goodies packed inside.Make sure and ask the staff if youre looking for specific items or supplies. I asked about a particular paint and was not only provided updates, but a call when it arrived (its a challenge to get Swiss paints!) and they kept it aside for me until I could come into the city. I cant recommend them enough for their knowledgeable, welcoming environment for artists.

Loves this place. Great assortment of art supplies and very friendly/knowledgeable staff.

This is a great store! The people who work there are very knowledgeable and friendly and the store has a wide variety of supplies.

The people who work here are both friendly & helpful & knowledgeable!🤠

Im not an artist but had a specific set of items I wanted for a party-easel, a pallet, paintbrushes and paint. The staff was very welcoming and helpful. Cost was not bad, and found everything in one spot. Better than a Craft store if youre looking to paint seriously!

Wonderful family owned art supply store with the most cheery and helpful staff imaginable

Went there during re-opening during COVID, and the staff was super friendly and helpful. Love to go back!

The staff is very friendly and helpful. The art supplies are worth the cost here.

These guys rock! Their prices are competitive, they always have the COPIC markers I need in stock, they care about customer service, they are knowledgeable and friendly. Thanks, guys!

I always find what I need here and everyone on the staff and Ron are awesome! Thank you for all that you do for everyone who loves art!

Phenomenal customer service as always!

Love this place. Super knowledgeable staff who are also extremely friendly. Best place in the bay for art supplies!

Great service and very high quality art supplies. They also have very up-to-date supplies, so when there is a fairly new product, they have it. They also have a wide selection and the people give great advice and have extensive knowledge about the products in store.

All around amazing. great selection of products from student to professional in a bunch of media. plus the staff is super kind and helpful and will have genuinely engaging conversations about most anything. and the patio is beautiful

I come here for special art supplies for my preschool classroom and always find new items to try. This visit was with my son. Bill helped my son get some watercolor materials, found brushes and paper that were good price for a beginner and yet good quality. Very pleased with the helpful and knowledgeable staff.

Best place for art lovers ! Very helpful staff and the price are good. Remember to check promotions items and you will have a great deal. Near the SFO and a lots other book store and shopping mall

Very helpful And knowledgeable the items are very good quality I enjoy browsing

Good atmosphere and service. Competitive prices. And discounts for students. Always know their stuff.

Definitely a kid in a candy store experience. They had everything I was looking for and multiple options. Friendly, helpful and professional staff. Ill be back!

These guys are wonderful. Ron and staff are going to take the time to understand what you need. They have solid knowledge of their products. They host info sessions. Theyve offered alternatives to my methods and materials that come out better, save time, and cost less. Really. And guess what, theyre friendly!

They are super helpful and knowledgeable, it’s just a very friendly place.

Always professional, friendly, good prices, and well stocked.

Ive been coming here since they opened. They have all my art supply needs for a reasonable price and friendly and helpful staff. I love coming here to shop. You wont find a better art supply store in California.

Great selection of art supplies and expert advice. Plus friendly staff that believe in customer service.

This is a real artists store (not an arts & crafts shoppe like Michaels) run by the fellow who managed Flacks in downtown San Francisco for 25 years! Best of the best of the best of the best!!!When the art store I used to go to in Palo Alto closed, I despaired of finding anything like it without going to San Francisco. Was I surprised and delighted to find Calif Art Supply. Its on El Camino next to a Fed Ex where they have their own parking so access is never an issue.I found the staff to super knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful which is just what I need when Im trying to decide on materials for projects. They have a high quality selection of materials, media, and tools with the expertise to explain how to use it, how to demo it, and how to choose the right stuff for your work.

Professional, knowledgeable, and friendly customer service. I feel very lucky to have their shop in my neighborhood.

Very friendly and helpful staff and a well stocked store with a good variety of supplies for both the student and the professional. My new “go to”place for art supplies on the Peninsula. I’d like to see a bit more choice of watercolor paintbrush brands, but best by far for a local store.

Huge fan of this place! Their selection of supplies is impressive and more affordable than the U place. The staff is very knowledgeable and willing to help. While I havent attended, they do hold instructional sessions and events, which is really nice for artists in the area.

Love this store! The staff are nice and they have a great selection of art supplies for all of my painting needs. The prices are very reasonable. I will continue to buy my canvases from them.

Wow! Helpful staff, amazing selection

Great art supplies! The staff is always very helpful. Last time I was there, I was helped by William D and he showed me his watercolor work. Very inspiring!

Excellent service and product. Thank you

A very nice store. Professional artists ready and willing to help. Im new to the area and it has become my go to place for advice on local instruction, supplies and they even welcome my dog. Good prices and a nice stock of a variety of supplies and tools. Very nice to have discovered Flax, San Mateo and their friendly staff.

Excellent service helping to select items prior to curbside pick up.

There are so many amazing reasons to buy from this shop rather than simply ordering online from a mega seller: Everyone is friendly and helpful; nothing beats being able to *touch* or even try out papers, pens, brushes, etc.; youre supporting an independent, locally owned business; you get to learn from knowledgeable people who share your interests! This store is a Peninsula gem. If you dont find the art supplies youre looking for, ask!

Im always happy to go to California Art Supplies as the service is friendly and informative and the stock is sufficient and competitively priced!

Good selection, knowledgeable about art supplies, successfully dealing with COVID art life

Nice service.

This small art supply store is well organized, ultra clean and stocks just the right amount of quality products that any creative person could need for a project. I cross checked pricing online (everyone does that right? Especially when making a big purchase?!) and this store offered the same products at the same price as I could get online, so I felt extra happy to spend my money here. I had a lovely and helpful chat with a staff member (maybe the owner?) who went out of his way to show me something special to look for when purchasing colored pencils. A great selection of little arty knick knacks that you could buy for gifts too like fun erasers and pens from Japan. Love this store, I will be back!

I had no problems using the site and placing my order.

Always excellent service and products!