I've been staying with my sister whom currently lives in Carrickfergus. This afternoon, I walked…read moreinto town to just entertain myself. I had intended to stop into a small art gallery that was closed the first time I went by... just for a few minutes to see what I could see... then I was off for some tea before heading back and starting dinner. Well then I met Thomas. Thomas is the local artist and proprietor of The Courtyard Gallery. His work is stunning. He specializes in watercolors of seascapes in that capture the bold and sometimes stark Northern Ireland coast as well as bright, vibrant and whimsical farm life. I was drawn into the gallery by the art but stayed over an hour making a new friend in Thomas. He's a fascinating gentleman that gives willingly of his time to discuss his art or any other topic that happens to come up between you. He is warm. He loves his dog, whom stays at the shop with him. He loves golf. He paints because he loves it and it shows. I purchased one piece today and will return after I've completed some measurements for my suitcase for some larger works. Carrickfergus is a quaint little town and I was so pleased to find such a treasure in both Thomas and his work. Do not miss this amazing opportunity to take home such creative and stunning impressions of Northern Ireland with you while meeting the creator in the process. The experience has easily been on of my favorite parts of my trip. Thank you, Thomas! I'll see you soon!

Everyone who works there is amazing. The food, delicious. Everything Amazing…read more Would fully recommend to anyone They think a lot about their coffee, it is incredible.

Hi there folks, this coffee shop is beautifully presented and friendly atmosphere also sells…read morehomemade produce and crafts, next door is the village gallery run by Trevor he will give advice on picture framing and sells artists materials.

A gallery and framers which shows a diverse range of contemporary artworks. Paintings, sculptures,…read moreprints, drawings - they have it all. Canvas staff are friendly and allow you to have a browse at your own leisure. The one and only drawback is that it is such a small space.

I am basing my review on a launch of an exhibition I attended here in November of last year…read more It was a great little show where 50 artists submitted 2 small canvasses each to the show. The canvasses filled the walls and it was fun trying to guess the pairs artists had submitted. My friend had two fantastic paintings in this show, but some of the stuff submitted was real amateur crap. Like stuff drawn with markers with tinfoil stuck on it. I mean come on! For someone like my friend, who has a degree in Fine Art, works in an artist studio and is trained to a high level to be exhibiting her work beside some messers using markers was a bit questionable for me. I would agree with the other reviewer in saying the standard of art Canvas show is average.

The Ards peninsula is the home to a wealth of creative and artistic talent and the Doghouse gallery…read morein Comber houses just a small snippet of it. The Doghouse gallery markets itself as an intimate gallery space but when I visited recently I felt that it should perhaps mention the type of Artwork it displays in the countless blurbs in tourist information booklets. This place is anything but a Doghouse, despite being relatively small in comparison to other galleries, it is classy, sleek space for local art to get the exposure they deserve. The is quaint and unassuming. It welcomes visitors and the staff housed in the Doghouse Gallery are more like puppies that pit bulls. They are approachable, so if you particularly like one of the textiles hanging or the design installations then I would advise you to ask questions because they will gladly answer them. The emphasis in the Doghouse is on quality o design and you are not going to be disappointed with either. The Doghouse is something to be proud of and so are the unique designs inside. Doghouse gallery is currently closed until October 7th, they are restocking and their collection. But do not worry Doghouse will start their winter session soon.

From the owner: Welcome to the Doghouse, a contemporary art/craft gallery situated in Comber, Co.Down. The gallery…read morehosts a wide variety of carefully selected, studio made crafts and fine art by full-time designer makers from home and abroad. Ranges include, jewellery and accessories, textiles, leather, metal, glass, ceramics and paintings.

I am in no way an art buff. I'm not an art anything in fact. But I do like to have a look around…read morethese places, even just to seem a little cultured to the store assistant who can obviously seen through my nods of appreciation. From the outside it looks a little more commercial to other galleries in the area. It always has advertisements in its windows, stating silly pointless things that you should already expect to find in a gallery (not signs saying 'pretty paintings!' but close enough). The price range clearly shows that the stuff here really is for someone who wants to make a serious commitment. Paying 4/5 hundred pounds for a painting the size of my palm is the biggest commitment anyone can make in my opinion!

Eakin's my favourite art gallery on the Lisburn Road. A lovely little family run gallery spanning…read moretwo floors of a red brick townhouse. Specialists in contemporary Irish art they also have some pieces from the past as well. You'll find a range of Artists' work here including George Callaghan, Brian Ballard, Neil Shawcross, Dean McDowell, Louis le Brocquy, J B Vallely and Terry Bradley amongst others. I always call in for a look when I pass Eakin. Yesterday I visited to view the beautiful, stylised, atmospheric paintings of George Callaghan. His harvest sunset paintings are mesmerising and I adore his 'Purple Haze' landscapes. A beautiful exhibition for this time of year as we near the end of October. Prices vary, ranging from smaller works for a few hundred pounds to larger paintings for a few thousand. If I win the lotto I may one day be able to buy instead of just browse! The owner Brian Eakin is very welcoming and their website's kept fully updated with all current paintings listed. However nothing beats a stroll through Eakin Gallery to see the paintings in the flesh.

This Gallery sells original Irish art from a wide range of professional artists…read more It has an excellent website at:- http://www.gracehillgallery.com Well worth a visit

From the owner: Original traditional and contemporary fine Irish art.read more

I love browsing through art galleries and the Engine Room is the latest small gallery in Belfast I…read morehave stumbled upon. Run by East Belfast Arts Collective, this Gallery has moved from its original location in a mill Engine Room to a street-level showroom just a little further east on the Newtownards Road. Since the Engine Room opened in the mid 1990s it has been according to the gallery "an engine at the core of the development of contemporary art in Belfast." The range of works on show include everything from oils and acrylics to prints, video, sculpture, arte povere, installation art and new technology. The gallery also aim to showcase lesser known local artists alongside more well known artists with international profiles. There are new exhibitions every month.

This is a great Gallery space in the heart of East Belfast. It hosts local, national and…read moreInternational exhibition. The latest exhibition from 1st April 2010 is a solo show by Deirdre Robb. works on display are paintings, installations and expeimental prints

I like funny stories. Funny haha or funny peculiar - either will do. Of course, the unparalled…read morefunny story contains these two aspects; the best of both worlds. The funny haha bit of this story is really that I know nothing about art or framing. I'd like to think I'd know a good frame when I see one, but that really couldn't be guaranteed. The actual painting or photograph is an entirely different story. I really haven't got a clue. This story one circles around a painting of a building in Toronto, which apparently is quite a good one. Of course, I wouldn't know. This painting came to us through a friend of my dad's. He'd picked it up in a charity shop and thought of us as he did so. It replaced a dodgy old picture of something-or-other (having not really had an interest in art, I'd never really paid attention you see), and looked quite well in our hall. Until (cue the funny peculiar part), it fell off the wall, completely randomly, and the glass cover smashed. Thankfully, someone who knows a great deal more about art and frames are Sheldon. The exceptionally friendly lady told my dad and I that she could have the glass replaced with 3 hours (at a very good price, might I add), as well as providing us with a new cord to hang the picture with. There was me thinking we'd need a new frame and everything, but thankfully not. Interestingly, the lady didn't believe there to be anything wrong with the original cord. Mmm, strange. Less than 3 hours later, a phonecall came through, alerting us to the fact that our picture was ready. They had even stayed open slightly later than usual to accomodate us. What nice people. The new glass looked...sturdy, and the picture has remained in tact for 2 months, so we're pretty hopeful. If, by any chance, you should have any picture issues, the lovely people at Sheldon will happily get you sorted. Despite my lack of knowledge of art etc, I never doubted the expertise of this lot.

Sheldon gallery is based in Newtownards and I have used this shop on several occasions. As a…read morepainter who likes to give away my attempts at art I often use the shop to frame my pieces. They have a wide selection of different frames, in different colours, thicknesses and materials. The ladies who work there are all very experienced and they will sit with you to help you choose just the right frame. They do a very clean neat frame, which doesn't cover up the edges of the work - sometimes this happens in other places. The job they do is well worth the price, which I find is reasonable for good service. Sheldon's also sell art by local artists as well as prints, cards and other decorative items. I enjoy calling in for a browse, to pick up ideas and have previously purchased artwork for a good price in their excellent sale, which seems to be on all year round.

Gormleys is an art gallery and auctioneer specialising in Irish art, specifically painting and…read moresculpture. They have galleries in Belfast, Dublin and Omagh and participate in various art fairs and exhibitions throughout the world. I've only ever been in Gormleys Belfast gallery and being a pauper have never purchased any art from them, I just browse. So I can't comment on their credentials as art auctioneers, but they are probably the biggest, most established and well known art dealers in Northern Ireland. Gormleys located at 471 Lisburn Road is a bright, small, glass fronted gallery which looks just like an up market shop. The staff are nice, allowing visitors to have a good 'riffle' around. To front of the shop is a pristine gallery with art carefully hung and perfectly displayed. Out back there's another room full of art that's ready for the next auction. It's an Aladdin's cave of paintings and sculptures piled high and crammed onto every wall space. Something similar to a car boot sale, except here your purchases will cost thousands of pounds, not pennies! There are some mesmerising paintings by Lisa Ballard, Ken Hamilton, Simon McWilliams, Paul Wright, Catherine Creaney, Kyle Barnes and Lorcan Vallely if you have the money and wall space to spare. I personally will just look on and admire. Though Gormleys do participate in the annual London 'Affordable Art Fair', so maybe I will be able to purchase something after all...

If you wanted to get an overview of what is sort of paintings are being produced by both…read moreestablished and upcoming artists in Northern Ireland Gormleys is a useful place to have a look. The many paintings for sale are displayed over three floors and a couple of armchairs are thoughtfully provided on the top storey. I don't quite know why, but looking at paintings can be extremely exhausting. Of course the prices are high, but they match the quality, starting at around £300. As stated on the website Gormleys aims to accommodate and offer advice to a broad spectrum of customers from beginner collectors to serious investors. I think that is a fair assessment, because Gormleys seemed quite welcoming to a non buyer that has to live in hope like me and a more relaxed environment to visit unlike some other smart galleries.