3D Gallery is a really wonderful shop located near Park Row and the Christmas Steps. It's…read moresandwiched in between a DIY shop and another gallery so it's definitely caught the right 'arty' crowd. This Gallery isn't massive, but the selection of artwork is really very good. I have never gone in and not found something I would love to take home had I had a couple of hundred quid spare. I also really like the jewellery section at the back, and have spent many a days admiring the intricate details on most of the pieces.

This is one of those galleries which make you want to earn lots of money so you can buy more art. I…read morenever fail to fall in love with at least one piece every time I go here (which is quite often!). On the last visit it was the abstract work of Russell Frampton - in fact the gallery is quite strong on abstract work but does also usually have some serious show-stopping work in the windows which are more accessible. Even if art isn't your bag, baby, then this has a little secret - it is home to some of Bristol's lovely jewellery makers. You can find unique handmade rings and necklaces at very reasonable prices. Now, and this is scary, you have to ring a bell to be let in. It isn't like they want you to press your platinum American Express to the window and you have to be dressed head to toe in Laura Ashley to be deemed safe. It's just because the owner likes to be pottering about most of the time rather than waiting for people to come to the shop. Don't be afraid!

I don't quite know what to make of Art Original. Is it a gallery? Is it a glorified memorabilia…read moreshop? Who can say! This hard to navigate shop is packed to the brim with celebrity inspired works, signed sports photographs and posters of local hot spots. The staff say a friendly hello upon entering but did give me a suspicious look when I lingered too long. Not a comfortable or enjoyable shopping experience.

Bit of a weird one this. It sells memorabilia, oddly enough. So, currently, there's a hell of a lot…read moreof Michael Jackson (shamoan, mutha***ker!) pictures and artists interpretations in the window, as you might expect. Therefore, there's a lot of musical icons here, with some of the framed pictures, posters and prints apparently signed by said celebs. Next up, there's various sporting heroes from today (such as Man U or Arsenal team shots to bloody Nigel Mansell!) All in all, it's a bizarre shop that charges over the odds for things that might work as the ultimate present for some people, but seems cheap and tacky to me. Meh.

My trade not being exclusively scribbling I also enjoy getting behind a camera from time to time…read more Thus it's important to know where the good outlets are for printing etc, and also where to find some inspiration. For the latter I come to this place - 2C, a family joint that exhibits some of the finest photography around. They're a dealership by trade both in the shop and online. The main focus is on fine art photography and this can range from wildlife abroad to architecture in our own back yard. Currently they're showing some amazing elephant photography by Martyn Colbeck which alone is well worth the visit.

Now from the outside this gallery looks a little dull, but honestly it is worth going inside!…read moreAlthough there are a number of safe bet paintings and they stock Beryl Cook which isn't my cup of tea but I know is very collectible. But over two floors it does surprise occasionally. I found some oil paintings downstairs that I liked and they have some small sculptures on show as well. The best bit, however, is that they are official stockist of Roald Dahl / Quentin Blake prints which are just the most heart-warming, quirky and fantabulous things. At £75 a pop they aren't cheap, but would make a grown-up present for a kids wall (or to evoke those childhood memories!). They also, quite randomly, have Beano and Thunderbirds figurines! The proprietor is really friendly and welcomes you to browse. Different exhibitions are held in autumn and spring which shakes the stock up a bit. They also offer a framing service.

I am a massive fan of little gallery's like this. They are great oppertunities to see what local…read moreartist are producing, and as a way to vue up and coming talent. It's always worth popping in if you are in the area and even though most of the work will be out of your price range it's always nice to have a little look, and too a certain extent judge the work on what you feel would be worthy enough to appear on your wall in your house! With some good prints on sale even if you can't get an original there will be something tha tickles your fancy and is well within the limits that your wallet has to offer!

I'm going to admit that I wavered about going into this gallery - it is very elegant and grand in…read morean expensive part of town and wasn't sure I would be welcome to browse. However I got a nice 'good morning' as I came in and not disturbed as I walked round. They have a quick succession of exhibitions here so worth coming back regularly. They handle some pieces by Barabara Hepworth and Henry Moore so that should give you an idea of their expertise (and price!). At the time I went they had 'scapes by Paul Lewin which were astonishing.

If Bristol's could be represented by one image, it would doubtlessly be one of the hundreds of…read moreworks of graffiti plastered across the city. Weapon of Choice jumps on this bandwagon, with a little street art gallery and shop just up from the Christmas Steps. Created by Bristolian artist, Cheba, this brand is well known and respected across the city, you can recognise the swirling white-on-black logo without realising you'd ever seen it before. The shop here features exhibitions from a variety of Bristol's finest graffiti-style artists as well as printed t-shirts, trainers, toys, accessories and skateboards. Check their website for details of live graffiti events and gallery openings.

Only in Bristol! I mean, only in Bristol could the art movement of this generation culminate and…read morematerialise into a 'high street' outlet, where what was once an art form defined by its illegal nature of it's location has become so mainstream you can buy pieces in a shop. But it is such a brilliant business idea, I am jealous I didn't think of it, even though I couldn't have done as good a job as they have with Weapon of Choice. Reading the reviews below has been very helpful, I didn't actually realise the scope of artists that displayed their work here or who will be in the future. I thought it might all be work produced by the owner, but I think it's even more exciting now I know it will act as an exhibition space for this art movement. The work there today was technically brilliant and the artist clearly has a very funny, intelligent, creative streak, and has produced this almost abstract, surrealist graffiti art. If you are coming to this city from elsewhere and you want a taste of Bristol's cultural significance and its influence on a broader scale, visit this shop, it'll tell you everything you need to know.

No not a place to get your cuticles done, Nails gallery is one of the best art gallery/shops in the…read morecity. They have a good mix of artists and a good range of varied work. If you give each visit to Nails enough time in-between you can guarantee to see a completely new range of work. The art here is for sale, but don't shy away from just coming to have a look at some of the brilliant new work being completed by local artists. The gallery is a very bright and vibrant space inside full of local art and it's much larger than it first appears. As you walk through the archway you can see another mix of contemporary and older art work. They deal in prints, mixed media, oil etc and sell a great deal of very current, beautiful art. Some of these galleries are perceived as being quite stuffy and as only selling water colours of local duck bonds. Nails are not one of these galleries. In fact my favourite piece today was a large oil painting of Barbie being dragged down a back alley. Say what you will about the subject matter by trust me when you saw it, it was truly art affirming.

This art gallery, located down a steep stair case in the Lower Exchange Hall in St Nicholas Market,…read moreis dedicated to promoting local art and local artists. The relatively small space plays hosts to many different styles, but they've all got one thing in common - they all use Bristol as their muse. Among the pieces they exhibit include photographs, prints, sculptures and ceramics. Nails gallery also pride themselves on delivering affordable art to Bristolians. Their prints and paintings start as low as £18 so they're bound to have something suitable for you, no matter what your budget is. For me, I love just having a nose around the gallery and seeing different artists take on the city. There's a few nooks and crannies in which to find hidden gems so take your time and really take in what the gallery has to offer.

With the View art gallery just a short trip down the road it's great to see Hotwells is staking a…read moregreat claim to get all the artists in Bristol to pay attention to what Hotwells can offer them. The Lime Tree Gallery is opposite the riverside and pulls in many people going for a riverside walk. With art from local artists as well as national there is an impressive sellection of paintings and contemporary works from sculptures made from rubbish picked up on a bristol walk to a painting depicting what could be described as the waters influence on the city of Bristol. Worth a look, might be to pricy but doesn't mean you can't appreciate what is on offer.

Gallery positioned overlooking the harbour, almost opposite the Grain Barge. The owner is friendly…read moreand happy to talk about the work and let you look round. They select work from artists nationwide to a theme that changes about eight times a year (so every six weeks-ish). Work is a mix of traditional and more contemporary pieces and when I last went had some beautifully bleak oil landscapes. They have a sister gallery in Long Melford, Suffolk.

This is a bit of a strange beast - Castle is a CHAIN of art galleries. It does mean it can pull in…read moresome big names. Indeed harmonica-wielding Bob Dylan had some exclusive work shown at one of their stores, but I'm doubting very much it was at Cribbs... Indeed they have largely played it safe and gone for some mainstream illustrative cutesy art and some nice landscapes. The staff behind the counter looked thoroughly bored, or maybe he was just wondering what it feels like to work for a real art gallery. I am loathed to give such a low score to anywhere that tries to give accessible art to the masses, but it really had no energy in here despite having customers. Perhaps try one of their many other stores - Bath is the next nearest one. Find this store on the lower level of the Mall, between John Lewis and Boots.

I've never considered buying art for the crib or anything - it seems a little pointless and posh…read morefor my tastes - but I do love swinging by a gallery or two to take in the work on offer. In fact, gallery means somewhere to view art, as far as I'm concerned, not to buy it. Anyway, they have some pretty good stuff here, some humorous, some just plain lovely paintings of Bath and some more at the bizarre end of the spectrum. You can hardly fail to notice the store if you're in the area, so do go inside and check out some of the fine work this place has.

In A Brave New World Aldous Huxley paints a picture of a distopian future (I've always wanted to a…read morebook review) where people consumer 'soma', a drug with similar effects to alcohol but lacking some its more unpleasent aspects. As a shop, Soma is enjoyable enough but perhaps not evoking anything as the drug its named after. The space is small but its been kept clean and space. This makes it a good space to view the various prints and other works on display. It's all contemporary, and British, by-and-large. You can also get various knick knacks. To be honest, this part of the shop is slightly for people with more money than sense, with things like £7 dish cloths. You can find some good gift ideas though. Soma is sophisticated and intelligent, probably nothing like taking the fictional drug then.

I'd forgotten how much I like this little art gallery/shop. Their selection of contemporary prints…read moreis impeccable from UK-wide artists and illustrators. My favourite at the moment being Dee Beale but it isn't all that safe and pretty! The shop also has artistic nick nacks - Camila Prada's salt and pepper pots for example, Donna Wilsons knitted woodland creatures and Tatty Devine jewellery. This is a great place to pop into for original greetings cards as well. Expect to pick up a print from about £20 which is average, the staff know a bit about each artist if you want to know more.