Art Treks Europe

Day 2 – Paris Art Trek with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

June 11, 2012

Notre Dame • 10″ x 8″ oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 2 – Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

On day 2 of our plein-air painting and photography workshop in Paris, we led our group to Notre Dame Cathedral, known for its flying buttress and gargoyles overlooking the city. Since our group had never been before, they visited inside the church and hiked up to the clock tower for amazing views of the city, while I kept everyone’s gear down below. I found a nice, quiet bench and had enough time to paint this view of the backside of the cathedral until everyone finished touring. The church is so complex, I focused in on this view of the nave with it’s stained glass windows and the tops of a couple of the flying buttress to simplify the scene for an 8×10 canvas.

If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to

Santa Fe, NM Aug. 12 – 18 (see nikigulley.com/art-classes) or

Tuscany, Italy Aug. 31 – Sept. 8 (visit nikigulley.com/artreks),

please e-mail Niki Gulley for more information. Registration deadlines are quickly approaching. We’d love to have you join us!

***

To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, please go to my website at NikiGulley.com.

Day 1 – Paris Art Trek w/ Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

June 8, 2012

Eiffel Tower • 10″ x 8″ oil painting by Niki Gulley • SOLD

Day 1 – Art Trek Paris

For the first day of our painting & photography workshop in Paris, we had to visit the Eiffel Tower. After enjoying the panorama view from the tallest building in Europe, we grabbed some lunch at a Parisian café and nourished for the afternoon, set up our easels at this lovely park to paint the Eiffel Tower.

Part of our group at the Eiffel Tower.

While the morning was slightly chilly and overcast, the clouds parted and sun came out just in time to paint and shoot. All of our students agreed, this was the perfect spot to paint the Paris landmark – a little shade, a gentle path leading you to the subject, lush greenery and delicate pink, purple petals from the blooming lilac-like trees, tucked away from the crowds.

Some of our painters with their travel easels, painting the Eiffel Tower.

If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to

Santa Fe, NM Aug. 12 – 18 (see nikigulley.com/art-classes) or

Tuscany, Italy Aug. 31 – Sept. 8 (visit nikigulley.com/artreks),

please e-mail Niki Gulley for more information. Registration deadlines are quickly approaching. We’d love to have you join us!

***

To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, please go to my website at 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.

Art Treks: Tuscany – last day

October 16, 2011

“Morning Textures, Tuscany” • 10” x 8″ oil by Niki Gulley

Last Day – ART TREKS: TUSCANY
with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

After a busy full day in Florence, we decided to take it easy on the last day of the workshop and paint in the nearby town of Pienza. Choosing this quiet alleyway and working on a vignette rather than the sprawling landscape, we each picked a doorway and concentrated on its individual character. The age of the stonework, dating from the era of Pope Pious II, and each home’s unique heavy wood doors made for a fun study in texture, and some of the best paintings from the trip!

Two of our students painting in a quiet picturesque courtyard in Pienza.

Our last meal in Tuscany, filled with truffles, pecorino, pasta, vino, fun and great memories!

***

If you would like to join us on future ART TREKS to Paris, France in May or Tuscany, Italy in September,visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420, which goes into detail about our upcoming Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshops.

Or, if you’d be interested in learning how to paint “plein air” or improve your location painting a little closer to home, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=13, which tells you about my upcoming Painting Workshop at the Dallas Arboretum and White Rock Lake, Oct. 29th and 30th. Space if filling up quickly, so e-mail Niki if you are interested.

***

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

Tuscany Workshop with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams – Florence

October 14, 2011

“Evening, Florence” • 25” x 19″ pastel by Niki Gulley

Day 5, Florence – ART TREKS: TUSCANY
with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

On day five of our Tuscany workshop, we spent the whole day in Florence, visiting some of the best art galleries in the world, exploring its impressive Duomo and architectural sites, and of course shopping! With such a busy day of sight seeing, unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to paint but we took many references to work from back home, such as my pastel above. To top off our day, we had one of the best meals of our trip, and everyone left satiated and happy. Enjoying our stroll back to the van, there’s nothing quite like the romantic feel of Florence after dark when the crowds have left and the streetlights and shop lights cast magical colors that dance across the cobblestone streets, stone buildings, Ponte Vecchio, and the river that kisses it.

Our Tuscany workshop group overlooking Florence.

***

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

October 12, 2011

“Magical Light, Tuscany” • 8” x 10″ oil by Niki Gulley

Day 4, afternoon location – ART TREKS: TUSCANY
with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

After we finished a delicious antipasto lunch of prosciuttos, local pecorino, and fresh fruits and vegetables, we headed into the hills for our afternoon painting location. Starting fairly late in the day, we timed it so that the light would be soft and golden as we were putting the finishing details on our paintings. For this painting, we focused in closer on one of the tuscan farmhouses, with just a suggestion of the peaks and valleys in the background. Between the quiet surroundings, the quintessential Tuscan vineyard behind us and the perfect weather conditions, this proved to be a very inspiring afternoon.

Niki Gulley and one of her students painting the agriturismos and rolling hills in Tuscany.

***

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

Art Treks: Tuscany – Day 4 with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

October 10, 2011

“Pienza” • 4” x 10″ oil by Niki Gulley

Day 4 – ART TREKS: TUSCANY
with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

After a busy two days of exploring surrounding hill towns, on day 4 of our Tuscany workshop, we decided to slow down the pace and enjoy the beautiful 360 degree views surrounding our villa. Today each one of my painters painters picked a different subject, feeling much more confident about painting en plein air and expressing their personal vision.

I chose this view of Pienza for my demo, and decided that I wanted two main focal points to help tell the story of what I was seeing in the scene. I was particularly attracted to the hill town above with the church steeple rising above the rest of the village, and a simple stone house on the bottom right below. Unfortunately the trees had grown so large that they were slightly hiding the house, so with artistic license, I just moved them off to the right a little to see the house better! I arranged the composition through a series of diagonal lines to lead your eye through the scene. Then I painted in the sky and hills with a thin application of water mixable oil paint so that the paint could be drying in those areas while I started blocking in the hill town, densest foliage and farmhouse below with thicker paint. Lastly I added even thicker highlights to the buildings and details to the rows of crops to complete the painting.

One of my students, Rosemary Achepohl, and her palette knife sketches from our villa. Rosemary chose to work with 5×7 boards and a single subject and they turned out great! You can see her work and her husband’s paintings, Fred Achepohl, from our Tuscany trip in Grapevine, Texas, at grapevinemainstreetartgallery.com.

***

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

Painting / Photographing in Tuscany with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

October 7, 2011

“View from the Villa, Tuscany” • 5″ x 7″ textured oil by Niki Gulley

Day 3, Afternoon Location – ART TREKS: TUSCANY with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

After a busy morning and afternoon in Siena, we were all content to stay at the villa for our afternoon location. With it being warmer today, the pool was calling us so we set up our easels under the beach umbrellas, and started sketching the distant hills, foliage, and stone houses. With a short amount of time, we decided to work small and focus on a simple subject. We thought it would be fun to make this quick study very loose and free. So using palette knives and small canvases we layered in the rolling hills, dark to light, and then added the details on top, completing these fun, spontaneous paintings.

Niki Gulley and two of her students in front of their completed paintings at the Tuscany villa.

That night we ventured into town for dinner, and had the best dessert of the trip, fresh figs stuffed with homemade gelato and drizzled with caramel sauce. It was so good, everyone had to order more for the next night! A perfect ending to a fun, inspirational day.

***

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

Day 3: Siena – Art Treks Tuscany

October 5, 2011

“Doorway to the Past, Siena” • 10″ x 8″ pastel by Niki Gulley

Day 3 – ART TREKS: TUSCANY with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

Today we headed to the much larger medieval walled city of Siena, and explored its intricate marble cathedral, numerous streets and passageways, and its main square where all of the action is, el campo. One of the unique things in Siena are its hand-carved doors and detailed door knockers, which everyone had a great time photographing. Several folks savored the long Italian lunch hour while others continued shopping and touring.

If you would like to join us on future ART TREKS to Paris, France in May or Tuscany, Italy in September, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420, which goes into detail about our upcoming Plein Air Painting & Photography Workshops. Early registration deadline for a $500 savings is only 5 days away!

***

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

ART TREKS: Tuscany, Day 2

October 3, 2011

“Autumn Harvest, Tuscany” • 24″ x 36″ pastel by Niki Gulley

Day 2, Afternoon – ArtTreks: Tuscany with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

After lunch, we explored the streets and shops of Montepulciano, and then later that afternoon we treated our group to a wine tour in the surrounding countryside. One of the wineries has been in business for over 300 years, and their pride and enthusiasm for their wines is infectious. Their robust Vino Nobiles were delicious, and the local meats and cheese they paired with them exceptional. Many students said this was their favorite day of the trip!

***

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.