plein-air art classes

New Bluebonnet Painting from the Texas Hill Country by Niki Gulley

August 23, 2023

20″ x 10″ textured acrylic painting on canvas

I painted these Texas bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush on location with extremely thick paint and palette knives to achieve depth and texture. It turns out the barn was built by the homeowner, and I was so taken with its beautiful craftsmanship. I chose a vertical composition so that the wildflowers in the foreground would draw your eye straight to its character and status. Leaving out extraneous background details also reinforces that feeling.

The resulting image comes to life and is loaded with color and energy. In this wildflower series, I’ve painted the edges of the 1 and 1/2 inch deep stretcher bars with the scene continuing around the sides so that it can be hung without a frame, or I have the option of an espresso floater frame which draws your attention into the painting.

To see more of Niki Gulley’s textured landscape paintings please check out NikiGulley.com,

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on this piece, or more her Texas bluebonnet and wildflower paintings.

“Hill Country Textures” oil painting by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

December 20, 2013

8″ x 10″ textured oil painting

I painted these Texas bluebonnets at a plein air painting workshop I was leading in Fredericksburg, TX. I was attracted to the contrasting textures of the craggy rocks next to the soft bluebonnets and native grasses. Working with palette knife and a lot of oil paint, I set out to capture all of that dimension.

For more information on my Texas bluebonnet and wildflower paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

To see more of Gulley’s textured landscape paintings please check out NikiGulley.com,

Plein Air Painting Workshop in the Texas Hill Country with Niki Gulley

March 25, 2013

24″ x 12″ textured oil painting

I painted these Texas bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrush and Coreopsis with extremely thick oil paint and palette knives to achieve depth and texture. The resulting image comes to life and is loaded with color and energy. In this wildflower series, I’ve painted the edges of the 1 and 1/2 inch deep stretcher bars with the scene continuing around the sides so that it can be hung without a frame, or I have the option of an espresso floater frame which draws your attention into the painting.

To see more of Niki Gulley’s textured landscape paintings please check out NikiGulley.com,

If you’d like to join Niki for her upcoming workshop April 5th – 7th, Plein Air Painting in the Texas Hill Country, sponsored by The Good Art Company Gallery in Fredericksburg, TX please check out NikiGulley.com/artreks for more details.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her Texas bluebonnet and wildflower paintings.

Nov. 10th deadline for Greece Art Trek

November 9, 2012

10” x 20” oil painting

The view from our hotel that we’ll be staying at in May for our Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop to Greece is amazing! In this oil painting, I wanted to capture the beautiful sea below with the vertically stacked puzzle piece architecture indicative of Santorini.

If you’d also like to experience the beauty, history and culture of Greece, join me and my husband / travel photographer, Scott Williams, for our Plein Air Painting and Photography Art Trek to Athens and Santorini on May 10-18. Our unique Art Treks afford you the option to choose which aspects interest you, whether it is painting, photography, both or neither, thereby giving you an opportunity to make the most of your experience. Our trips are designed to hone your skills and expand your creativity, all while you further your artistic voice and immerse yourself in the region’s culture and lifestyle. Non-participating partners are encouraged to join us for a reduced price, and we’ll help with travel arrangements, tours, transportation, etc. while we’re painting and photographing.

Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop

Athens and Santorini, Greece

May 10-18, 2013

Taught by Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

Early Registration for a $500 savings: Nov. 10

Final Registration deadline: Dec. 15

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

This workshop is already over half full, so we encourage you to register soon!

NikiGulley.com

Lake Como, Italy oil painting

January 6, 2012

oil on canvas • 24″ x 36″

Lake Como, Italy is probably my favorite spot from all of our travels. The vistas are simply breathtaking with the alps in the background, the gorgeous blue of the lake, the brightly colored unique buildings and the lush foliage dotting the magnificent gardens. I love this little laid back town of Varenna, which is so peaceful that all of your cares just melt away.

If you’d like to join us in Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy this Sept. 8th – 16th for our next Plein-Air Painting / Photography Workshop, e-mail Niki Gulley for more information or visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420. If you sign up by Jan. 13th, you’ll save $500 off the cost of the trip!

To see more of my paintings from Italy visit NikiGulley.com.

LAST DAY to Register for Santa Fe Painting / Photo Workshop

June 3, 2011

SOLD • 8” x 16” oil on board

Painted with thick oil paint and palette knives, I wanted to capture the craggy mountains and dense sage brush indicative of the unique New Mexico landscape.

Santa Fe is the muse of many famous artists and photographers, and that could be you, too! Join us for our Plein-Air Painting and Photography Workshop this August in Santa Fe, New Mexico. You will work at different picturesque locations, painting and (or) photographing scenes that inspired Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams. Santa Fe offers breathtaking vistas; sunny, dry weather, world class restaurants, galleries and shopping ensconced in a charming, 400 year old Spanish Colonial city that welcomes the new and exciting and never grows old.
This is a not to be missed workshop in “The Land of Enchantment.”

Plein-Air Painting & Photo Workshop

Taught by Scott Williams & Niki Gulley

Santa Fe, New Mexico

August 7 -13 / 2011

Reservation deadline: June 4th

See nikigulley.com/?page_id=13 for more details and to register.

To see more of Niki Gulley’s contemporary landscape paintings in person, please stop by her booth at the 57th Street Art Fair in Chicago this weekend. Visit 57thstreetartfair.org for more information.

E-mail Niki Gulley with any questions or visit her website at

NikiGulley.com.

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Cinque Terre Plein-Air Painting Workshop

January 4, 2011

SOLD • pastel 36″ x 24″

Inspired by our trip to the Cinque Terre (or translated, 5 lands) along Italy’s west coast, “Adrift,” shows one of the peaceful harbors among these 5 cities that hug the shoreline and are linked by an exhilarating hiking trail. I liked the lone boat anchored in this cove, leading your eye to the beach, and the contrast of the yellow against the crystal blue waters. The buildings, all brightly painted stack miraculously up the mountains in the distance, and create a colorful backdrop suggesting you are no longer in the United States. Cinque Terre is simply breathtaking!

If you’d like to join us in Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy this Sept. 8th – 16th for our next Plein-Air Painting / Photography Workshop, e-mail Niki Gulley for more information or visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420. Sign up by Jan. 13th for a $500 discount. We’d love to have you join us.

To see more of my paintings from Italy visit NikiGulley.com.