Time Art Gallery in Solihull is a great addition to the Touchwood Shopping centre!…read more Located on the ground floor between Superdry and H&M, they offer a superb service and inspiring eye catching artwork on display. The images are all hand painted and then reproduced as prints or onto a canvass, and the genres cover sectors such as movies, music, cities and even a Volkswagen inspired range. The paintings are of such high quality, you have to look again! They have everything from Bob Marley to Madonna, Oasis to The Wanted, Amy Whinehouse to the Beattles. I liked the large canvass of the Joker. The great exceptional service which they offer includes having your own photo reproduced onto a canvass, from £20 for a 10"x10" upto a large 20"x40". You can email your picture in ( info@timeart.co.uk or adztimeart@gmail.com ), send it via text, MMS, take in a cd or dvd, or even an actual photo for them to scan in! They'll advise on the best suitable size depending on the quality of your image, and the canvass is produced to such a high quality with mounts, I was very pleased with my pictures. Also on display are paintings produced by local artists of Moulin Rouge, Paris, Butterflies, poppies etc hand painted directly onto canvass which were stunning! They currently have a sale on of upto 50% off for canvass printing, and they are usually ready within an hour. So what are you waiting for?....

I LOVE the art that is showcased here. As a base for local artists, you'll see work by the likes…read moreof Lucy McLauchlan displayed alongside work by more unusual artists such as Jamie Hewlett of Gorrillaz fame. The gallery itself is tiny, but the walls are always full from floor to ceiling with beautiful works available to buy. They tend to show a lot of streetart inspired work, or more print-based pieces which helps to keep costs lower than if they were selling original oils. Alongside the framed works there's always a selection of unframed options available, and small pieces displayed in cabinets which accompany the exhibitions - anything from cross-stitched computer programmer jewellery to mini toys and zines. If you're visiting the Custard Factory and want to grab a few little presents for friends, this is always a good place to pop into.

The custard factory is renowned for its creative fashion, arts and culture so it only seems fitting…read morethat the Studio4 Gallery is situated here. Although only a small space, you'll be surprised by the amount of art work available to view and buy. When you first walk in you will be overwhelmed by the variety of modern art available. From the floor to the ceiling you will find art by a varied collection of British artists, some recognised and some undiscovered which makes the shopping experience even more special and intriguing. There's lots of cool what I call 'poster art', which would look great in any swanky city centre apartment of stylish home alike. There really is something for everyone from classic remakes to fresh and funky one-offs, next time you're in Digbeth I recommend you go and check it out.

Gallery 3 is a light and spacious art gallery in the Barton Marina Complex. The staff greet you…read morewith a smile and pass the time of day, which is a nice touch. Most of the pictures in Gallery 3 are either originals or limited edition prints, with a good mix of different media - watercolour, oils etc. There are small alcoves that highlight a particular artist, where you can sit in a comfy seat and peruse some stunning paintings. Next to each artists group of paintings, was a photograph of them, with a piece about their life and inspirations, a nice idea. Art is very subjective, but for me the large oil paintings of a bustling Piccadilly Square and a Parisian street at night were the pick of the bunch. Obviously being mostly originals, the prices were high, but I genuinely thought some of the paintings were worth their price tag. You can even get a limited edition print by none-other than Mr Rolf Harris!

A very well maintained gallery - there is always good quality & interesting art available with a…read moregood rotation of works available. The staff are very friendly, knowledgable & helpful and a warm welcome always awaits, this gallery doesn't feel stuffy unlike some I have been into in other towns.

Grand Union is an artists' studios and gallery space located in the Minerva Works complex in…read moreDigbeth. At the heart of Birmingham's artistic community, Grand Union hosts a programme of free public exhibitions, talks, workshops, screenings and other events throughout the year. The artists' studios are home to some of the best-known Birmingham-based artists and are opened up periodically so that people can visit and get a glimpse into the artists' individual working spaces. The Minerva Works complex which houses Grand Union has become a real hub of activity during Digbeth First Fridays. Also located in this complex are Vivid Projects, Centrala and Stryx, which all have busy programmes. There's also a printers, graphic designers and an art supplies shop.

Grand Union is an art collective that has 8 studios and a project space for exhibitions and events…read more As I share a studio in the same building (Minerva Works) I often see them putting together projects and while some of the exhibitions they have might seem a bit left field they are certainly trying something new and bringing diversity to the industrial backdrop of Digbeth. As it is a non profit organisation they are always keen to have people help out. If you would like to get involved you should check out their website and drop them a line. It is definitely something different and interesting and I recommend supporting it even if everything they do might not be to your taste.

Home & garden store, Local Art and Sculpture Gallery, Garden Design studio, Garden and Homeware,…read moreGifts and Plants, First class light refreshment facilities. Situated on an A426 between Rugby and Lutterworth, the calm within is amazing and the wealth of gift ideas and quality goods for home and garden. Visit their website and read about the history of the farm and, in particular the barn itself? It's an education. An absolute must, and my main reason for visiting regularly, is the refreshment area. It really is sublime. There is a small seating area right opposite the counter which, in the colder months, has a log burning fire. There is a larger and very comfortable seating area in an upstairs lounge with mixed seating.sofas, armchairs, tables.another log burning fire which is regularly attended to. Sink into one of the cozy chairs and watch the traffic pass yet at the same time feeling, as if perhaps, you are somewhere else? An impressive array of homemade cakes etc., awaits your attention when you place your order which, even if you choose to take a seat in the upstairs lounge, will be brought to you by a member of the pleasant staff. For a light lunch you may try their delcious homemade soup with a roll? I would be happy to recommend this establishment to my female contacts as a place for the unaccompanied traveller to stop and rest a while in a spotlessly clean and safe environment. Worth a detour!!

Garden store with a small cafe, the cafe has some lovely cakes and drinks. The owner is very…read morefriendly. The shop is full of interesting products which I love to fill my home with

Over the past three decades we have purchased two water colour paintings by George Sheridan Knowles…read morefrom David Gilbert at the Driffold Gallery, Sutton Coldfield and we are still extremely pleased with them. David, over the course of many years, has valued many of our paintings and given us expert advice and his time quite freely when required. We have subsequently purchased other paintings from the gallery. We highly recommend this gallery.

I think the best word to describe the Eastside Projects is probably esoteric - which obviously…read moremakes it a toughie to write about. However, it's a lovely space and a lovely concept so I will try...Based just down the road from the altogether different Air nightclub and not far from The Custard Factory, Eastside Projects is an exhibition space that hosts and commisions experimental contemporary art exhibitions as well as a kind of collective that looks at ways in which art may be useful to society. Or as their website and rather beautiful user manual (copies of which are available in the gallery and are well worth picking up) puts it "EP is a questioning structure that in turn produces more questions and also, of course, possible answers. Our ambition is to incorporate the methodologies of art-making at all scales and functions of the organisation.We believe in working collaboratively towards change and do so to support the cultural growth of Birmingham. We do not make art for the public. We are the public that makes art. The artist run space is not a stop gap. The artist run space is a public good." As well as regular exhibitions they hold lunch time talks and are one of the stops on the Art Bus route - they also have an amazing office - a piece of artwork originally commisioned for the 2007 Venice Biennale and created by Heather & Ivan Morison and that has been transformed into a space that holds a desk, shelving and a kitchen.

I often go to the Custard Factory to for a range of events or to buy vintage clothing. So when I…read morefirst heard about the Eastside Project, which is around the block, I was excited to go and view it as everything about this little corner of Birmingham oozes creativity and independence. This large exhibition space has been utilized by a group of artists to offer people like you and me an opportunity to experience contemporary art at its finest. What I like most about this place is that it continually encourages both new and old artists and creative people with a vision, to experiment with new ideas and get involved with utilizing the exhibition space. Alongside the art exhibitions, they also run a number of events which tend be an opportunity for networking and knowledge sharing. Definitely worth checking out if you're passionate about making your mark on the industry.

Jenny Wren Gallery isn't really an art gallery, nor is it a gifts & cards shop; it's a bit of both,…read morebut at the same time, the shop is impossible to catagorise. Mainly because the store sells some of the most unusual items that I've ever seen. Jenny Wren is absolutely jam-packed full of surprises, from odd little Russian Dolls, to tiny little shoes made from jewels, to really detailed puppets. It's probably not advisable to bring children into the shop, because a lot of items, (including the puppets) have 'do not touch' signs on them; and there are quite a few breakable objects around the store too. I literally could've bought all of the puppets, especially the Henry the 8th one. Each puppet is amazingly crafted. Okay, so they're a little pricey, but well worth the money. The outside of the store looks a little generic and stereotypically, highbrow 'gallery-like'. I think the shop could entice more customers to view the wonders inside if it dressed the store front more funkily, in order to reflect the products sold. One thing I will say, they could so with cutting back on the perfume smells in the shop, I'd appreciate that greatly. I couldn't get the smell out of my nose until the next day - it nearly knocked me out in the shop too!

Clean eating area nice food good service served quickly so no standing in long queues.read more

Wonderful child-friendly museum easily walked to from the Cathedral area. We went there recently…read morewith 2 pre-school kids (ages 3 and 5) and spent well over 40 minutes in the special Lady Godiva exhibit. The adults were entertained with the excepts from the many Lady Godiva movies (Maureen O'Hara had one) while the kids put on medieval costumes, played with a racing game, put together some puzzles. Upstairs the Four Seasons exhibit was another place entertaining to both adults and children. We spent about 40 minutes there. Lunch in the cafe where we had some lovely soup and sandwiches. My only negative was the fact the Gift Shop had to be passed through on the way to the Godiva exhibit. So much energy to keep little hands from picking up things. But the wonderful staff raised not an eyebrow in disapproval.