Plein Air Painting in Venice

“Romantic Passage,” Venice ©2013 Niki Gulley
12″ x 9″ • textured oil painting
We just got back from teaching our latest Painting and Photography Art Trek in Venice during Carnivalé and had the most amazing time! The weather was ideal our first day there, and we found our way to this quiet landing to paint a typical Venetian canal. I liked the way the sunlight reflected across the water’s surface, and I really wanted to capture a gondola in that lit space, but since they move so quickly that was no easy task! Luckily around 11am, there was a steady stream of gondolas passing by our location. I found myself painting as quickly as I could while one came into my composition, and if I didn’t capture it in time, fortunately another vessel would come into view shortly afterwards, and I was really pleased with the results.
If you’d like to join us on one of our upcoming Art Treks, please let me know. The final registration deadline of March 1st for our Tuscany and Cinque Terre/Lake Como, Italy workshops is quickly approaching!

Or, closer to home I’ll be leading a Plein Air Painting Workshop sponsored through the Good Art Company gallery in Fredericksburg, TX, April 5-7, during Texas wildflower season.

ArtTreks
Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 6-14
Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – Sept. 13-22
Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop
Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Final Registration Deadline: March 1st
For more details, E-mail Niki Gulley or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

Plein Air Painting in the Texas Hill Country
April 5-7, 2013

These workshops are filling up quickly, so we encourage you to register soon!


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Cinque Terre / Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

“Peaceful Harbor,” Lake Como, Italy ©2013 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 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. 
Now we can’t wait to share the Italian experience with other painters, photographers and anyone interested in traveling, so we are leading an Art Trek to Lake Como and Cinque Terre this September. If you’d also like to experience the beauty, history and culture of Italy, join me and travel photographer, Scott Williams, for our Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop to Cinque Terre and Lake Como from Sept. 6th – Sept. 14th.

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.

ArtTreks – Cinque Teere and Lake Como, Italy
Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop
Sept. 13-22, 2013
Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Early Registration Deadline for a $500 Savings: Jan. 11
Final Registration Deadline: March 1

Add on a second Art Trek back to back with the Cinque Terre / Lake Como trip, and join us in Tuscany Sept. 6-14 for a 2 week Italian adventure!


For more details, E-mail Niki Gulley or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

These workshops are filling up quickly, so we encourage you to register soon!


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Greece Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

“Doorway to Possibilities,” Santorini, Greece • by Niki Gulley
SOLD • 20” x 10” pastel

The view from our hotel that we’ll be staying at in May for our Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop is amazing! In this pastel, I wanted to capture not only the gorgeous Aegean below and the white-washed architecture with brilliant blue accents, but also I wanted to show off the unique Greek doorways that frame the beautiful landscape below.

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 & Photography Workshop
Athens & 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!

Day 2, Santa Fe Art Trek with Niki Gulley

SANTA FE ART TREK:  Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams  
Day 2, morning location – downtown Santa Fe
9″ x 12″ textured oil by Niki Gulley

On day 2 of our Santa Fe Art Trek, we visited this peaceful little street where each home is postcard perfect. Between the unique adobe architecture, the dramatic morning light, and the beautiful plantings surrounding each home, it was hard to choose what to paint! Each student found something different that excited them, and I became fascinated with this window and rain spout, and the deep shadows they were casting. I also loved the glowing Russian sage against the golden terra cotta wall and the beautiful plum tree in the distance.
Above: Painting in Santa Fe.
Visit nikigulley.com/artreks/ for upcoming Art Treks and Workshops or
E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

“Long Shadows,” White Rock Lake by Niki Gulley

“Long Shadows” White Rock Lake ©2012 Niki Gulley
12” x 24” oil on canvas

Sunset draws lengthening shadows across the grassy waters edge at Sunset Bay, White Rock. The lake shimmers in the evening glow as sky high above fills with deep blues and before you the soft, moody colors stretch out, long lines beckoning you into the complex diagonal composition. Rich texture models the leaves, branches and tree trunk rimmed in the sunset and shadow. Vivid masses of color form the foliage on the opposite bank, fall at its peak. The long cast shadows draw you into the tranquil landscape and the peaceful, dreamy sunset at White Rock Lake.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her contemporary landscape paintings.

Santa Fe ART TREK – one week away!

“Echo Park,” Santa Fe, NM ©2012 Niki Gulley
9″ x 12″ oil on board

 

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.We will transport you to different picturesque locations, where you will be 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.”

Santa Fe Art Trek

Plein Air Painting and/or photography workshop taught by Scott Williams and Niki Gulley

Santa Fe, New Mexico

August 12 -18, 2012

See nikigulley.com/art-classes for more details

or e-mail Niki Gulley with any questions and to register.

Above: Students painting at Echo Park last year.

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To see more of Niki Gulley’s contemporary landscape paintings, visit NikiGulley.com.

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One Week Left to Register for our Santa Fe Art Trek

“The Blue Door,” Santa Fe ©2012 Niki Gulley

12″ x 9″ pastel

Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop in Santa Fe, NM – Aug. 12-18

Last year on our Santa Fe workshop, one morning we headed to a quiet street in downtown Santa Fe. It was a beautiful day, and we were all drawn to the unique adobe architecture typical in Santa Fe, the soft morning light, and the vibrant color accents on each home. I chose this periwinkle doorway for my quick demo in pastels, both for the striking contrast against the orange pueblo and also because the russian sage everywhere was so beautiful, and added some balance on the left hand side of the composition. We all thoroughly enjoyed the morning, even if a passing homeowner or two were disappointed that we hadn’t picked their doorways to paint!
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 Aug. 12-18 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.We will transport you to different picturesque locations, where you will be 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.”

Santa Fe Art Trek
Plein Air Painting / photography workshop taught by Scott Williams and Niki Gulley
Santa Fe, New Mexico
August 12 -18, 2012
See nikigulley.com/art-classes for more details

or e-mail Niki Gulley with any questions and to register.

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http://issuu.com/cfai.co/docs/visual_language_vol_1_no__6_ll

Monet’s Garden painting by Niki Gulley & upcoming Art Trek to Paris

SOLD • “Radiance” ©2012 Niki Gulley
Three 48″ x 30″ canvases to form a 48″ x 90″ triptych
textured oil painting on wrap around canvas

Just sold! I decided it would be a fun challenge to create an extremely large painting, and I wanted the final piece to be very uplifting, colorful and full of energy. Opting for warm colors and working with extremely thick oil paint and palette knives, I chose this lily pond reference from our visit to Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, France. The grounds were breathtaking and I could actually see his paintings come to life. I was drawn to the energetic flow and yet calming serenity in this view, and I positioned the water lilies and my paint strokes in a circular pattern to add to that mood. The morning light peeking through the distant foliage added to a sense of mystery and promise that I wanted to capture in paint, and share with you that feeling of hope.

If you would like to join us in May for our next ArtTrek to Paris, France, and paint Monet’s Gardens in person, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420, which goes into detail about our upcoming Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshops. Registration deadline for Paris is quickly approaching, so don’t wait!

If you’re in the Dallas area this weekend, stop by Arts in the Square to see more of Niki Gulley’s paintings.
Arts in the Square
Sat. March 31 • 11am – 6pm
Sun. April 1 • 11am – 6pm
Frisco, TX • Frisco Square
Dallas Tollway and Main St.
Or, to see more of Niki Gulley’s contemporary textured landscape paintings, visit NikiGulley.com.

Plein Air Painting in Italy with Niki Gulley

“Chianti Trail” ©2012 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 30″ x 15″ pastel
I was commissioned to paint this vineyard and rolling hills backdrop based on my collectors’ fond memories of Tuscany. So, using some of my plein air sketches, photographs, and personal memories from our trips to the area, I created this pastel. Full of color and movement, I arranged the planted grapevines to lead your eye back to the Tuscan villa and then to the beautiful countryside beyond.

If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to Tuscany, Italy in September or Cinque Terre / Lake Como, Italy in September visit nikigulley.com/artreks for more information. We’d love to have you join us!

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E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.
To see more of my paintings from Tuscany, visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

Plein Air Painting in Italy with Niki Gulley

“House on a Hill, Tuscany” ©2012 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 18″ x 36″ oil painting
This house on a hill painting was inspired by our first trip to Tuscany, where I fell in love with everything about the region. Medieval towns, cypress tree-lined roads and glorious sun drenched splendor of the rolling hills are just some of the allure of Tuscany. 
Imagine the inspiration derived from strolling the narrow cobble streets or taking in the panoramic views as the sun sweeps across the landscape spread out before you. Start your own renaissance by standing in the shadows where the masters once painted, all while experiencing the grandeur of Tuscany first hand. Capture the rich fall colors offset against cobalt blue skies, the rows of earth-hued vines, ripe with their succulent grape harvest, all while being warmed, literally, under a Tuscan sun.

Tuscany’s warmth is in more than the countryside, it’s within its people as you will discover while sampling the region’s abundant wines, savory fruit and amazing varieties of cheese. There is nothing like getting to know a culture and experiencing a sense of place. It is a journey for the senses, not only visually and intellectually, but for the palate as well.

Whether you are a painter or photographer, our unique Art Treks have been designed to allow you to hone your skills and expand your creativity, all while you further your artistic voice. Choosing which aspect interests you, we will help guide you to capture the architecture and breathtaking vistas flooded with their extraordinary quality of light, on either canvas or film. If you would like to join us on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to Paris, France in May, Tuscany, Italy in September, or Cinque Terre / Lake Como, Italy in September visit nikigulley.com/artreks.

Registration deadline is March 1st.
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E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

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