The city and shire are blessed with a great selection of galleries catering to all tastes and budgets. We may not know much about art, but we know what we like…
The Nicole Porter Gallery on King Street is open by appointment and mainly shows Nicole’s own work. She’s a talented portrait and figurative artists with outstanding drawing skills Nicoleporter.co.uk
You’ll find Enid Hutt’s gallery near Holburn Junction. It offers a huge range of prints from contemporary artists. It’s a great place for starting your art collection as some small sized open print editions start from under £10, while originals go up to over £100,000. Enidhuttgallery.com
Sticking with prints, Peacock is always worth a visit. The studio is tucked away on Castle Street. They have original prints from £20 as well as leading artists like Pat Douthwaite and Ralph Stedman. Check out Eva Crawford-McKee’s retro travel posters for local landmarks. Peacock.studio
Frauhaus on Chattan Place in the West End offers a delightful selection of hand printed work by Elizabeth Fraser, from letterpress prints to her artist’s book installations. Prices start at £25, so it’s a great choice if you’re looking for a special gift. Frauhaus.co.uk
Gallery Heinzel is just a little further along on Chattan Place and offers one of the best selections of original contemporary work in the city. This month it hosts an exclusive exhibition of new work by Calum Stevenson, SkyArts Portrait Artist of the Year 2021. This is his first exhibition since taking part in SkyArts Portrait Artist of the Decade where he painted Dame Judi Dench. The show runs from 31st August to 28th September. Galleryheinzel.com
Gallery Rosemount is at 227 Rosemount Place, where you’ll find a good mix of prints and originals. John Russell’s atmospheric local landscapes, Mark James’ textual abstracts and Estonian-based Sergei Inkatov’s dynamic landscapes are worth seeking out. facebook.com/galleryrosemount/
Heading out into the shire, Ballater should be on every art collector’s satnav, as it offers some superbly curated galleries. Ballater Gallery offer a mix of emerging and established Scottish artists, often with international reputations. Seek out Andrew Thompson’s tiny still life masterpieces, Louis McNally’s views of the city or big names like Jack Morrocco and Marion Drummond. Ballatergallery.co.uk
Nearby, McEwan Gallery is the place for fine Scottish and European paintings from the 17 th century to the present day. You’ll find works from the Scottish Colourists like Cadell and interiors traditionalists like John Faed, alongside work from Mary Fedden and Mardi Baine’s intriguing still life compositions. Their 50th Anniversary summer show opens in Mid-August. Mcewangallery.com
Larks Gallery is also in Ballater and shows contemporary arts and crafts, mainly from local artists and makers. They have a new featured artist each month and the gallery is open Thursday-Monday. It’s worth the trip for Val Thomson’s abstract seascapes or Linda Farquharson’s dramatic prints alone. Larksgallery.com
Tolquhon Gallery near Pitmedden is open on Friday and Saturday from 11-4, or by appointment. They have seasonal exhibitions and several hundred artists to choose from. It’s a great place to discover emerging artists. Aliisa Hyslop’s ethereal acrylics, Tim Cockburn’s charmingly parochial evocations of Scottish country culture and Gerry Harper’s moodily introspective figurative works all
catch the eye. Tolquhon-gallery.co.uk
Further south, try Eion Stewart Fine Art in Stonehaven. There’s always an interesting selection of work on show, expertly curated by Eion. Currently, Hilary Gauci’s traditional still life works, Frances Innes’ seascapes and Sheila Anderson-Hardy’s detailed bird oils all catch the eye. Eionstewartfineart.com
