As someone who can't paint to save her life, I have a massive admiration for artists, and love…read moregoing around galleries. This is both a gallery and craft shop and I couldn't have been more impressed. You can buy many pieces of work by local artists, which aren't too pricey (around £175). Additionally they sell jewellery, and gifts such as the very welsh Love spoons.

Model house up on the bullring,Llantrisant. Model house has many handmade arts and crafts. There is…read morealso studios with new artists who are willing to help show you how they make certain objects ( jewellery, hand knitted items etc). Its a good educational place for children and adults who are interested i the arts.

I love this gallery situated on Caerphilly Road. They have prints and photos from throughout Wales…read morewhich you can buy framed or unframed. The owner is very friendly and helpful and I was particularly grateful when he framed a print for me at short notice for an elderly uncle's birthday present. So if you're looking for a special present, with a Welsh flavour, head for this gem of a store!

ThroughWelshEyes - An Exhibition of Wales. A unique…read morecollection of the finest photographic images of the Welsh landscape as collectable Numbered editions. A complete exhibition of Wales from a stable of top Welsh photographers. A collection of exciting contemporary art works from a growing number of Welsh artists with our 'On-the-wall' Collection, together with our expanding collection of originals. Visit our Cardiff gallery for a full selection of Welsh photographic images and contemporary fine art, available in a selection of sizes to suit all budgets, and framed while you wait. Customer image framing service also available.

The Albany Gallery is a great little commercial gallery that is located above Zio Peppino on the…read moreAlbany Road. There is every reason to visit Albany Gallery at any time of the year, but there's presently an even more compelling reason to make the effort to go there. The current exhibition will be on for the duration of the summer, and features work from some of the best of contemporary Welsh artists. And it's excellent! There are circa. 70 different artists exhibiting, who specialise in all different kinds of media and subject. Prices for work exhibited vary dramatically, starting at incredibly affordable prices. Now is definitely the time to buy fine art. The art market has not been this depressed in a long time, and with galleries exerting pressure on the artists to keep their work affordable, prices have dipped or remained static for a while. It's difficult for an artist to discount their work as it devalues the pieces that have been sold previously, and so there is an unwritten obligation borne by each artist to protect the commercial interests of existing patrons. Nevertheless, galleries are going out of business left, right and centre, and those that remain are doing al they can to preserve the market. Keeping prices affordable is one of the key means of doing this. Artists tend to increase the sale price of their work on a regular basis. It is common to see considerable price increases within a short space of time. Each successful exhibition, of which an artist will have several a year, will prompt them to review the value of their work. A successful exhibition at a high profile gallery that has been met with critical approval in the media may cause an artist to add a nought to their sale price, taking the value fo their work from £500 per piece to £1,500 for example. This means that price increases have been seriously inhibited owing to the fact that the art market has remained relatively static throughout the duration of the recession. Therefore, prices should rocket once the market has stabilised once more, making any investment today a good one. Obviously you have got to buy right, so it pays to know what you are doing, but quite often buyers can make a killing just by buying what they like... (if they like it, it usually follows that other people do too, and demand ultimately regulates the market).

I definatly think this is one of the best galleries we have here in Cardiff. I was introduced to it…read moreby my art teacher and have been a few times when I like the sound of an exhibition the have on. Of course any gallery is only as good as its exhibitions and their website is very good at letting you know whats on when and shows you the kind of art they do. I love the fact that it shows the very best of contemporary British artists. It even hosted an exhibition by the late Kyffin Williams who is arguably one of Wales greatest artists. You can't help but feel inspired and the staff are very approachable and happy to talk to you about the pieces.

I was looking for a place to find a traditional Welsh gift made by local artisans to bring back to…read moremy housesitter while I was away. The Gallery was highly recommended. The staff, especially Bob, was phenomenal. Very good at answering all my uninformed questions. I found a beautiful spoon and they kindly engraved it for me at no extra cost. I also found a sampler set of Welsh Whisky's that conveniently fit into a quart carryon ziplock! There are other souvenir shops, pass them by and go talk with Bob.

We were so happy we found this spot! The front of the store looks like a typical tourist shop but…read morethe second half is this gem! We wandered in and were so glad we did! These were the best Welsh Lovespoons we had found! The owner took time to help us find the perfect one for our home, explaining the history and symbolism of all the spoons and making a perfect suggestion. He also engraved it for us while we waited. The store had a huge selection and the owner is very helpful. Prices are very fair for the beautiful work that goes into these spoons. We brought some home for our family and they all love them. It was their favorite gift! Beautiful gifts from a great shop with a patient owner for when you are in Wales!

Craft in the Bay really is a beautiful shop that encompasses all that has changed in the Bay…read more I often wonder around in the brightly lit, all glass store as it is almost a gallery rather than a shop. There is some fantastic sculptures on display is well worth a visit just for that alone. There is also a more traditional part of the shop that sells vases and smaller items, all seemingly hand made as far as my uneducated eyes can tell. Staff are also very friendly here and are always willing to detail a sculpture for you and help in any way they can. Always a pleasant experience upon visiting here.

This modern glass and wood building housing an art and craft gallery showcases contemporary work by…read moremembers of The Makers Guild in Wales, and also hosts a changing programme of national and international exhibitions. Only the best Welsh talent can become members of the Guild, as membership is by rigorous selection - so the work on display is of a very high standard. All of the exhibitions are free to explore, and you can also buy pieces of art and craft, ranging from ceramics to bags and even furniture. Kemi' s Café is housed next door to the gallery, overlooking the Millennium Centre, and is open from 8.30am-4.30pm serving up quality, wholesome food.

I hadn't been in the Welsh shop for a while, having been put off by the buckets and spades and…read moreother plastic toys and postcards outside. There are a few cheap shops selling these tourist bits and bobs in Porthcawl, and I would always avoid them. However when I went inside I was impressed with the selection of goods on offer. I wanted to get a love spoon, and was pleased with the decent size range of styles and prices. They also had other traditional Welsh items, and locally produced crafts and gifts. The staff were really slow - but very friendly, and did offer me a discount, even though I didn't ask for one. All in all this is a good shop to pop into if you are looking for a nice Welsh gift, or if you are visiting Porthcawl and fancy a memento - or just a bucket and spade for the beach.

I really and truly cannot express my love of this place enough!…read more St. Donats Arts Centre is situated near on the South Wales coastline in the grounds of a medieval castle (complete with jousting field), which is now an International College. Imagine a Hogwarts by the sea, and you're mostly there. They offer a large bar area with outstanding views, a gallery and cinema, and theatrical and musical performances go on in the traditional Tythe Barn. This is also the venue for the critically acclaimed Beyond the Border storytelling festival, which takes place every year. Although this venue is small, the staff are friendly and eager to please, and the regular clientele are an amazing mix of locals. The only downside to the centre is its distance from most major areas. But it is certainly well worth the trip, just make sure you check out their website before going down, as there are not events happening each day, and you certainly don't want to turn up and be disappointed!

Within the grounds of St Donat's Castle lies the enchanting St Donat's Arts Centre, housed in a…read more14th century Tithe barn which has been converted into a fully-equipped theatre. Another modern addition to the barn is the completely new and contrasting 'Glass Room' on one side. The publicly-funded centre puts on a high quality arts programme throughout the year in this unique setting, which has wonderful views right across the sea towards Exmoor. The barn itself is widely considered be be one of the most inspired public buildings in Wales. The centre provides a really diverse programme of children's theatre, craft classes, dance sessions, cinema, exhibitions, world music events, jazz in the Glassroom. festivals, choir rehearsals, workshops and live shows. It also hosts the internationally renowned Beyond the Border storytelling festival, and it's the perfect, enchanting venue for this lovely event (with outreach storytelling in venues elsewhere in the area, too). The Box Office and Gallery are open 10am - 4pm on weekdays, plus evenings and weekends when there are performances taking place. Check the website for upcoming events, and keep your fingers crossed that the weather is fine when you visit so you can also enjoy far-reaching views out to sea.

A visit to Wales would not be complete without a visit to the Grogg Shop…read more Grogg's are these amazing sculptured clay models of everyone who's anyone in Wales or more specifically rugby. John Hughes is the master behind these little ceramic masterpieces and he's been doing it for a mega forty five years. The shop itself is something to behold in itself. Bright red and far enough off the road to look like a real spectacle along Broadway of Ponty. And when inside something magical seriously happens. I think its pure amazement but I'm not entirely sure. Hundreds of funny looking figures surround the over crowded shelves. Each being carefully hand crafted to perfection, Grogg's are really something quite special and completely unique. Everyone in the shop is super friendly, so friendly you'll probably make friends. I have my very own Grogg of Shane Wiiliams and was lucky enough to have it signed by John himself. Very special and one day will be worth quite a bit I imagine. For a completely unique look at Wales, the Grogg shop is a must. GO NOW!!!

Situated on Broadway in Pontypridd, the Grogg Shop is one of the more unique shops in the area…read more Established in 1965, the Grogg Shop has been providing the world with their unusual looking figurines for over forty years. They have routinely made models of the welsh international rugby team, dating back decades to the likes of Barry John and Gareth Edwards, right up to modern day sporting heroes such as Shane Williams and Andy Powell. But these miniature statues aren't just limited to the international team; they have a huge selection of famous, and infamous, personalities and modern day figures, from Muhammad Ali and Elvis to Bruce Springsteen and Laurel and Hardy. The Groggs themselves come in various shapes and sizes ranging from the smaller 6 inch figurines, right up to the more expensive 16 inch sizes. While they can be quite expensive at times, due to their size or availability, but they are well worth the money when you have the finished article on your mantelpiece. If you are unable to visit the shop in person, they also offer an online shopping service, allowing you the opportunity to browse their extensive range and buy their distinctive unique statuettes from around the world.