Studio Seven is a new, exciting and intriguing art gallery owned and run by James Davis, an artist…read morehimself whose areas of expertise lie in both graphic design and pop art. Although the studio itself is only a small space there is certainly enough art work within to keep you occupied, challenged and provoked of though for a good deal of time. At the time of my visit there were a number of pop art pieces, more notably a painting of Heath Ledger's Joker, immortalised in stark bold blocks, posed in an eternal passive aggressive smiling glare. As well as this a beautifully bold cyanotype Audrey Hepburn image was on show, amongst other famous icons. As well as pop art pieces there were some sculptures and more mixed media pieces, including a bizarre-yet-cute frame set with some cut out crafted ducks arranged inside. I think one of my favourite pieces was the image of a shop/building front, painted in these vibrant and aggressive reds, with the vintage victorian style clock face at the heart of the image - I'm no expert but I'd hazard a guess at calling it postimpressionist. As my boyfriend and I were gawping at all the different paintings the owner came in, it was oddly empty prior to this, and asked us how we were. We chatted briefly and discovered that he was quite a diverse artist himself and had only recently opened the gallery. He was really approachable, down to earth and genuinely making a go of surviving creatively. For that alone I couldn't be more impressed since there are plenty of us out there who yearn to live from our talents, but seldom take the risk and try to make it work. If you are in Otley, scratch that, wherever you are - make the effort to stop by Studio Seven. There you will find challenging pieces of art from a variety of movements all worth pride of place in your home.

From the owner: Studio Seven offers a wide range of artwork. Original oil & acrylic paintings, photography, lino…read morecuts, limited edition prints, canvas prints, aqua tints, watercolours & paper cuts. As well as graphic design, photo restoration and Photo 2 canvas services.

Whether you are interested in art or not I would advise you to take 5 minutes to have a browse…read morethrough the art and crafts that is on offer within the walls of The Old Grammar School Gallery (TOGS). The art on offer is not just beautiful but some of it is well within the means of most people's pockets. I have been into TOGS a few times now and I have even purchased some art. There is everything from paintings, to pictures, to glass wear, to ceramics and so on. This month there is a solo exhibition by Julia Odell. Now I will put my hands up and say that Julia is a personal friend of mine and I wouldn't want anything I say to be taken as favoritism. But I find her paintings engaging and they always lift my mood or take me off somewhere else. There are also works of art by many other local artists and entering The Old Grammar School is an easy and enjoyable way to spend half an hour. The last time I was in there I purchased a beautiful piece of hand made glass wear. £20? Absolute bargain!! But please don't take my word for it. And anyway, taking the time to visit Otley is well worth it! The town is full of interesting shops and a lovely riverside walk if you prefer a quiet stroll or a walk in the park. There is nothing like the lovely clean smell on a warm summers day as you walk along the rivers edge. Oops. This was meant to be about COGS!! As you can guess, I'm a huge fan and the staff are knowledgable and enthusiastic too. For me, TOGS ticks all the boxes.

From the owner: Original art by local artistsread more

I love looking in art galleries, as I'm sure you'll agree, there is always something interesting…read moregoing on. I'm one of those hellish customers who never intends to purchase the art work - I simply can't afford to - but likes to spend a good hour browsing anyway. In theory I'll be able to purchase...one day! Anyway, I was about Otley town and noticed Browns so went in for a good perusal. I was greeted instantly by a lovely lady who asked me how I was, which was very welcoming. This place is really nicely laid out and certainly has a high end feel about the artwork within. They had a number of different artists' work on display in a range of different styles and media. The first pictures by J Lagadec, which struck me on entering, were these female silhouettes, black lines on a cream embossed background, and one with a distinct red 'v' at her nether area. Nearby there were some exquisite watercolour landscapes by Graham Carver and some humorous paintings by Mackenzie Thorpe - including what I assumed was Death holding a sunflower over his shoulder. So there was quite a variety of styles on show. Overall I think my favourite artist was Todd White - his collection was a humorous lot with undertones of a darker nature. My favourite was just called 'Caffeine' and depicted a series of caffeinated wide-eyed people, all in business attire, sporting bloodshot, toothy and forced smiles. It was full of detail, skill, character and was just really quite fun. He also had a series of cartoonish clocks for sale, splatted cows and ice creams, all for about £44 which was really not too bad a price given the expense of the rest of the art work. That's not to say I thought the art on show was over-priced, I am more than aware of how long those pieces must have taken, and how much skill was required to create them in the first place. On a separate note, Browns also does picture frame fittings too! Essentially, this beautiful gallery is a must-see if you are having a casual day in Otley. Beautiful.

Today turned into a real Otley-Fest for me…read more I just happened to poke my head around a door to see what was inside and ended up being invited to the opening of BonoArtGallery. So being a nosey, cheeky Yorkshireman has it's up sides. This new gallery is situated just over the road from TOGS art gallery on Courthouse Street. So I said I would be back at 7pm. It was a lovely cool Saturday evening and what better way to spend it than with like minded people and a glass or 3 of whatever was being offered on the opening night? I am by no means an art connoisseur but I have been to a few art galleries and I know what I like. So in I strode at 7:45pm. When I walked in I was recognised by Roberto (owner) and was invited to have a glass of wine or beer as he had set up a beer hand pump. I like the way this man thinks!! The beer was Burnsall Classic Bitter and was very nice indeed. To be honest there wasn't a great deal of art on display and most of it was fairly pricey too. The painting that caught my attention was by Shane Green - Sprint. Loved it. I also like the paintings by Moff Skellington (great name). None of the others really jumped out at me. In my own personal opinion, it was a bit bare. After 5 minutes I had had enough. Everyone seemed in their own little 'click' and trying to start conversations was hard. My whole experience lasted about 20 minutes. I can't say it was a pleasant experience at all. I will call in again as it is early days and maybe when some new art is displayed it will be more interesting. The Old Grammar School (TOGS) over the road is a much more interesting space and there is lots of different styles of art on display. Not just paintings and photos.