I like a gallery that sells things that I can afford like cards or small copy prints. Moulton…read moreGalleries goes one step further and sells all sorts of nick knacks - glass bowls and luxury soaps. But it really is all about the art here - particularly Australian art which is why I love it. They had a lot of paintings of Balmoral Beach (for obvious reasons), a few of the harbor bridge and the outback. The artist list is too long to mention but the exhibition they were featuring when I was last in there was the romantic paintings of Robert Hagan. Most of it is out of my price range but today I bought an illustration of a kookaburra printed on a card for $6 that I'm going to frame and put on my daughter's wall. It's beautiful. So I'll have a piece of Moulton Galleries even if it is miniature.

Simply striking! The art work displayed in this small gallery is absolutely beautiful and far more…read moreoriginal than I have ever seen before. Each piece had a story and spoke for itself. I stood in front of a majestic oil painting of Japanese carp swimming in a pool of black water, looking at the strokes of the paint thinking this is incredible. The depths and highlighted colours of orange of the carp were very eye catching. Each piece of art work is displayed with importance. Soft ,spot lights rain down from above the painting. Each painting is displayed very well and of course there is a hefty price with each item. But then again...who can put a price on an individual piece of art. A number of sculptures are featured also. They also are very original and have been painstakingly made. I only wish there was more to see. I am looking forward to their evenings of special events. Book me in for the champagne, caviar and meeting the artist! My favourite word for the night will be "Charge it!" (who takes a cheque book these days! ha)

Three floors of art and sculptures. My right hand wants to touch and caress every piece of art…read morewhile the left hand wants to slap the disobedient hand. The pieces of art are absolutely beautiful and originals. You wouldn't find the same piece ever again. Like a naughty child I wanted to take photos of everything. Unfortunately photography is not permitted in the shop so the few shots I took are from the outside. Prices are dear....but then again so is the price for paying for an original piece of art. There is a great deal of Australiana in the shop and caters for the tourist with money. There is also a large range of blown glass of many different colours. If you are setting up house for the first time...this could be the place to go.

Three levels of contemporary art. More museum than gallery and admission price, free! During my…read morevisit, a focus on Asian artists. Some political and satirical work. Li Wei's work, I've seen the same piece, but it's definitely more relevant during our current state of affairs. Just exchange Obama for the current presiding leader.

White Rabbit Gallery, located in the Chippendale, is a multi-level art gallery showcasing…read morecontemporary Chinese art. There is also a gift shop telling unique items and a teahouse on the main floor. Admission is free and they have free daily tours which may highlight several artworks and the artists behind them. We had stumbled upon White Rabbit Gallery while trying to find things to do in Sydney. We stopped by White Rabbit Gallery on a Sat morning. We ended up doing the free tour (about 30 min long) once we arrived as staff had mentioned this to us when we arrived. Staff explained to us the gallery and the types of artwork that they had on display, noting that the exhibits change every few months. She took us around several artworks and told us about the story behind the works and the artists, which was pretty interesting. The art itself was pretty cool - quite unique. Each artist we saw had a statement and a story behind why they decided to create such works. We definitely enjoyed our time at White Rabbit Gallery and would highly recommend if it you are in Sydney!

A great intimate space showing exhibitions by Sydney artists. Two bright and airy rooms run by a…read morelovely group of people. Always interesting to check out!

The Brett Whiteley Studio in Raper Street, Surry Hills was the studio and home of the famous…read moreAustralian artist Brett Whiteley. Along with his wife, he bought the former T-shirt factory and converted it into a studio which later became a home for himself. He moved to this studio from his Lavender Bay home when he separated from his wife Wendy in 1987. He lived here from 1988 through to 1992 where he died in Thirroul. Managed by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the exhibition is sponsored by JP Morgan allowing visitors to see the studio and exhibition free. As expected, photography is not permitted within the gallery. This studio/gallery provides a fascinating glimpse into Whiteley's private world. In his time he was leading the forefront of avant garde in the art movement in Australia and belonged to one of Sydney's first artist communities at the Yellow House which still stands at Potts Point. The exhibition features on the ground floor mostly from one of his most famed works the 'Alchemy'. Painted over a year Alchemy is an expression of the artist's state of mind and all Whiteley's influences over his lifetime. It was painted from left to right but can be appreciated from either way and even if you start in the middle at the painted word of IT. This word IT has much impact on this piece of work but you will have to visit the gallery to find out why. One of the influences for this works was his friend Japanese Yukio Mishima who Whiteley made a portrait of, destroyed it and then included it within Alchemy. Mishima had committed Seppekuku believing the gap between art and action could be bridged with a ritual death. Seppekuku is a Japanese ritual of suicide by disembowelment. In the studio upstairs the furniture, lighting, collections of memorabilia, postcards, photographs, objects etc., are all as he arranged them. The music that is played at the Studio during opening hours is from the artist's collection. It's a privileged and haunting insight into Whiteley's world and the curators are more than happy to share their knowledge of the artist and his work. The studio/gallery is available for education groups for Thurs/Fridays only and drawing classes are available on Saturdays. Wheelchair access is available for downstairs only. Brett Whiteley was one of Australia's most celebrated artists and I hope this review intrigues you to find out why.

Whether you know who Brett Whiteley is or not, this studio of his that remains partly untouched is…read moredefinitely worth a visit when you're next in Surry Hills. Its located on Raper Street, one of the laneways off Devonshire street and is slightly hidden from the crowds circling the bourke street bakery and crown street shops, which makes it even more of a gem. You'll know when you've found the place as you'll see a sculpture of one of his iconic works out front. Two large matches, one burnt and one not yet lit, that seem to represent life and death. When you step into the studio, be prepared to be both awe-struck and inspired. You'll see hand carved wooden sculptures of what seems to be bulbous and curvaceous interpretations of women, landscapes of sydney in Whiteley's identifiable calligraphy styled brushstrokes, big bummed and big breasted images of women on the beach and large mixed media paintings that stretch across the walls, filled with paintings of body parts, the Australian landscape, genitals, a sculpted replica of a brain and even a stuffed bird. I think my favourite part of the studio though is the upstairs area which still remains untouched. This includes his bedroom and working studio space. You'll see the books he kept by his bed, you can really see how they inspired him and added to who he was and his artworks, the futon he slept on with the paints and working materials next to it and also the random quotes on the walls that also speak of who he was, but that also seem to resonate with each visitor as they pass by this room. This is such a great place to visit, I think every person should come here and experience this place at least once in their lives.

It was a pleasure visiting this gallery and shop. I came on behalf of my boyfriend, and left a fan…read moreof Ken's. I spent more time in the shop than the actual gallery. I bought some small prints for $20. You can get 12 postcards for $10, and there's a wide selection of postcard versions of his larger works. Best part about the whole experience was meeting Ken himself. Great to get in the mind of a creative genius. Yes, I highly admire him after spending 45 minutes looking at his work and reading the book. This dude did a sick collection with BMW, can't get any cooler than that. If you buy a large print, you can ship worldwide for free. Can't wait for my Nude Blue to arrive, it will look stunning mounted in my new apartment. Ken, it was a pleasure meeting you and thank you for your kind words and advice. You have a new fan.

If you're looking for a Ken Done art exhibit to view, this is a good stop. If you have purchased…read moreKen Done clothing for about 20 years and always enjoyed his designs, don't bother stopping here. There use to be a Ken Done clothing store in the Rocks area, with extensive merchandise of his design. Now, this gallery is the only Ken Done remnant, with a small display of a few clothing items, and nothing like the dresses and tops they once had. All things change, and this is one that is disappointing. My wife will have to keep wearing her old Ken Done clothing, which still draws compliments on a regular basis.

Let's say that gaining entry can be a bit difficult. Somehow I first ended up in a food court…read morebefore I found some elevator hidden in a corner that got me to the entrance for the actual Eye Tower. I stood in line for the kiosk to purchase a ticket, but the folks in front of me had some difficulties with it and so an attendant came to help guide them through the process. Apparently I look old and confused because when it was my turn he just ask me how many and type of visit and before I knew it he handed me a senior discount ticket. Wasn't sure if I should be glad or insulted. I made my way up to the top on a rickety small elevator and arrived safely.. had my doubts there for a minute. Once you step out of the elevator the world opens up again. The view is spectacular and you can walk around the entire perimeter and view 360 degrees of Sydney. And may I say the city is huge. I delighted in seeing an actual working mailbox there which is marked the highest mailbox in Sydney, well yeah... Of course I bought the picture package, because who doesn't need silly commemorative pictures of oneself with Koalas, in a kangaroo pouch or atop of a map of Australia. Also I must say that the gift shop here was able to fill all my souvenir needs easily. It is extensive and reasonably priced too.

We visited the Sydney Tower Eye tonight from 7-8pm, hoping to catch sunset (7:41pm), but…read moreunfortunately it was a big disappointment. The interactive touch screens were confusing and not very helpful, and the binocular viewers were basically useless. The biggest issue, though, was the dirty windows, and tons of lights in the background which made it difficult to take any decent photos. You can barely see the Harbour Bridge or Opera House as they are obstructed. After doing the Sydney BridgeClimb, this experience felt like a complete waste of money in comparison. There were tables available to sit at, but both staff and guests seemed unwilling to clean them, which added to the overall lackluster experience.