art travel groups

Palette Knife Artist Niki Gulley Paints the Tuscan Countryside

August 21, 2023

20″ x 10″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

Cypress trees, tile-roofed stone farmhouses and undulating hills filled with grapevines and olive trees, signal that you have landed in Tuscany! Filled with energetic, thick palette knife strokes and uplifting colors, “Afternoon Arrival,” welcomes you to your new home away from home.

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Next summer we will be leading a Foodie Trek to Spain and Tuscany, and an Art Trek to Iceland, so if you’ve always dreamed of painting, photographing and sightseeing in Europe, please join us for one of these amazing trips! Details are available on ArtTreks.org.

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Please check out my website at NikiGulley.com, NikiGulley.com to see more of my impressionistic palette knife paintings.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her contemporary Italy and European paintings.

New “Cypress Serenade II” Art from the Tuscan Countryside by Niki Gulley

August 16, 2023

20″ x 10″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

My husband and I lead a Foodie Trek to Tuscany almost every year, and I’ve always been attracted to this lone grouping of cypress trees. I love trying to capture it in different ways, and mother nature had her hand in me choosing this location today. You see, there was a strong possibility of rain and this is one of the few locations I’ve found in the entire Tuscan countryside with a covered area that could keep me and my painting dry in the case of that liquid sunshine arriving mid-stroke. Fortunately because of the weather, the clouds in the sky were voluminous, beautiful and full of drama. Poppies blooming in the foreground just added to the excitement and energy of the moment. And, luckily I was able to capture the majority of the scene before the storms hit!

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Please check out my website at NikiGulley.com, NikiGulley.com to see more of my impressionistic palette knife paintings.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her contemporary Italy and European paintings.

New “Cypress Serenade” Art from the Tuscan Countryside by Niki Gulley

August 8, 2023

9″ x 12″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

I painted “Cypress Serenade” recently on location in Tuscany. I’ve always been attracted to this lone grouping of cypress trees and on this day the clouds in the sky were so fascinating. Hugging so close to the ground, soft and voluminous, acting as the perfect backdrop behind the cypress grove, I had to capture their drama before they disappeared. Wildflowers blooming in the foreground set the stage and I decided to have fun by repeating those colors throughout the scene, adding to the excitement and energy of the moment.

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Please check out my website at NikiGulley.com, NikiGulley.com to see more of my impressionistic palette knife paintings.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her contemporary Italy and European paintings.

“Walking in Sunshine” a sunflower painting by Niki Gulley painting

April 21, 2023

SOLD • 16″ x 20″ textured oil painting

SOLD through the Good Art Company Gallery. Follow the path leading you through bright, smiling sunflower faces as big as dinner plates, filling you with more joy with each step. A quaint stone farmhouse in the distance welcomes you to come in and enjoy the view as the sun starts to set over the horizon and cast its late day glow. Full of warmth, color and texture, my hope is that when you gaze into this piece, it lifts your spirits and brightens up any spot in your home.

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For details on more of my sunflower and contemporary floral landscape paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, check out my website at nikigulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

New “Sunshine Serenade II” Palette Knife Tuscany Painting by Niki Gulley

April 13, 2023

10″ x 20″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

I absolutely love Tuscany and find inspiration everywhere I look. This afternoon I set up my easel alongside the road, drawn to this long cypress driveway with these cheerful sunflowers framing the scene. As luck would have it, mother nature provided a symphony of colors across the sky as the sun started setting and I worked quickly to establish the beautiful, golden light that was cast across the rolling hills and sunny blooms. I hope you, too, can enjoy the joy and glory that is Tuscany!

To purchase this piece, visit https://www.nikigulley.com/sunshine-serenade-ii/.

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If you’re interested in joining us on one of our upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks to Portugal, Spain, Tuscany, or Iceland, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

2024 Schedule

Portugal Art Trek

March 10 – 17

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Spain Foodie Trek

March 18 – 24

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Iceland Art Trek

August 5 – 13

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Tuscany Foodie Trek

October 12 – 19

For more information on upcoming Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.

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E-mail Niki Gulley with any questions about my palette knife travel paintings.

To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

“Walking in Sunshine” – Cheerful Sunflower painting by Niki Gulley

March 23, 2023

SOLD • 16″ x 20″ textured oil painting

Just Sold through The Good Art Company Gallery! Follow the path leading you through bright, smiling sunflower faces as big as dinner plates, filling you with more joy with each step. A quaint stone farmhouse in the distance welcomes you to come in and enjoy the view as the sun starts to set over the horizon and cast its late day glow. Full of warmth, color and texture, my hope is that when you gaze into this piece, it lifts your spirits and brightens up any spot in your home.

***

For details on more of my sunflower and contemporary floral landscape paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, check out my website at nikigulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

***

If you’re interested in joining us on one of our upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks to France, Tuscany, Spain, Portugal or Iceland, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

For more information on upcoming Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.

2023 Schedule

Tuscany

Foodie Trek – May 27 – June 3

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Provence

Art Trek – June 24- July 1

2024 Schedule

Portugal – March

Spain – March

Iceland – August

Venice Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams – Day 3, Rialto Market

March 16, 2023

9″ x 12″ textured oil painting

Venice Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams – Day 3: Rialto Market

After breakfast, we took a vaporetto tour of the island and got off at the Rialto bridge where we wandered the fruit, vegetable and fish markets. We left the photographers there to shoot while we set up our easels in this quiet spot marking the oldest restaurant in Venice. This bridge had so much character being made completely of wood, decorated in plantings and flanked by red and white poles that we just had to paint it!

If you’d like to join us on one of our upcoming Art Treks, please let me know. For more details, E-mail Niki@NikiGulley.com or go to ArtTreks.org.

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To see more of my travel paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

Or, E-mail Niki Gulley for more details.

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“Flying High” Palette Knife Painting from New Orleans by Niki Gulley

February 1, 2023

New Orleans Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Day 2, Afternoon Location: The French Quarter

This was one of those quaint corridors that was just bursting with vibrant colors in the French Quarter. It was hard to decide what to paint, with all of the picturesque cafes and stores lining the walk. What really caught my eye though, were all of bright flags flapping in the afternoon breeze.

If you’re interested in purchasing this painting, just follow this link https://www.nikigulley.com/flying-high/.

To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my paintings.

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If you’re interested in joining us on one of upcoming Art Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.

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New Orleans Garden District Painting by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

January 31, 2023

12″ x 9″ palette knife oil painting

On our plein air painting and photography workshop my husband and I taught in New Orleans, we rode the trolley to the Garden District and set out to capture the beautiful architecture so distinctive of the area. I was attracted to this grand pink house, and in particular I loved the huge old oak tree framing it. The dappled light hitting the trunk was so striking that I decided to accentuate that in my painting with a multitude of colors and values while making the background soft to keep the composition from becoming too cluttered. The sheer size and age of the trees in New Orleans is incredible, which I set out to show juxtaposing the massive oak against the smaller two-story homes in the distance. Created with palette knife and a lot of oil paint, this canvas is loaded with texture and uplifting colors so that you feel the joy and energy of hanging out in New Orleans.

To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my paintings.

“Going to Class” from Oxford by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

January 25, 2023

9″ x 12″ textured oil painting

Inspired from a visit to Oxford, England, I loved the feel and energy of the old college town. We stopped in our tracks one day as we were passing in front of this Ivy covered wall, almost engulfing the massive hand-carved wooden door. Golden light was raking across the scene, beckoning you to take a look and go inside. The fact that the bike was parked right there, made it the perfect photo opp and later in the studio, the perfect painting subject.

E-mail Niki Gulley with any questions about my palette knife travel paintings.

To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.