Visiting Vernazza, Italy with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Vernazza ©2018 Niki Gulley • 5″ x 7″ Textured oil painting
 
Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day3 – Vernazza
 
When we arrived in Vernazza, the photographers and tourists took off exploring the town and scenic overlooks above while the painters set up their easels near the harbor to capture the beautiful golden late afternoon light. Right after sunset, Scott took the photographers to shoot the dreamy blue light and glow of the city colors. I painted the small sunset below and the other painters went shopping. Later, we all met up for a delicious dinner of locally caught fish, pastas and regional wine. Full and happy, we rode the train back to Monterosso and crashed that evening after a fun-filled day.

Vernazza Sunset ©2018 Niki Gulley • 5″ x 7″ Textured oil painting
 
“Safe Harbor,” Vernazza ©2014 Scott Williams • photograph 
 
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If you’re interested in joining us on one of upcoming Art Treks, please let us know. 
Spaces are filling up quickly, so don’t wait!
 
 
Scotland – Aug. 2019
Tuscany Foodie Trek – Oct. 2019
Iceland – 2020
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
 
 
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To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 
 

Day 2, Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

“Painted Houses,” Riomaggiore ©2018 Niki Gulley • 9″ x 12″ Textured oil painting
SOLD
 
Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 2, Morning Location: Riomaggiore
 
After a good night’s rest, we took the train that connects the five cities along the Italian coast to the southern most town of Riomaggiore. This morning the temperature was perfect, but we had more cloud cover with only occasional breaks of sunshine. Our painters set up our easels to capture this beautiful view of the colorful town and their ocean overlook while the photographers and tourists checked out the town and surroundings. 
 
That afternoon, everyone had free time and I decided to paint a small 5″ x 7″ of the harbor in the town we were staying at, Monterosso. It’s such a colorful, energetic setting!
 
 
 
***
If you’re interested in joining us on one of upcoming Art Treks, please let us know. 
Spaces are filling up quickly, so don’t wait!
 
 
Scotland – Aug. 2019
Tuscany Foodie Trek – Oct. 2019
Iceland – 2020
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
 
***
To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 
 

Day 1, Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

“Vino for Two” ©2018 Niki Gulley • 10″ x 8″ oil painting
 
Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 1: Monterosso / the 5 Village Hike
 
We were greeted in Cinque Terre with gorgeous sunny weather, so the photographers and tourists headed out on our first morning on the 5 mile scenic hike high above, linking the five cities of the Cinque Terre, taking in breathtaking scenery along the way. With our paint gear, we opted to stay in Monterosso and capture this beautiful quiet courtyard, with its picturesque fountain and colorful tables. I love the courtyards in Italy – they are so warm and inviting, reminding us to relax and enjoy the moment rather than rushing onto the next thing on our list. Painted on location in Cinque Terre, Italy, I enjoyed hanging out here, taking in the sound of the fountain trickling, savoring the local red wine, and spending time conversing with my husband. I hope this painting reminds you of a similar special memory.
 
That evening we connected with the hikers and enjoyed a delicious dinner of fresh caught seafood, local pesto and pasta, and tasty Italian wine. A great end to a perfect first day!
***
If you’re interested in joining us on one of upcoming Art Treks, please let us know. 
Spaces are filling up quickly, so don’t wait!
 
 
Scotland – Aug. 2019
Tuscany Foodie Trek – Oct. 2019
Iceland – 2020
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
***
To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 
 

New “Serpentine Drive” in Tuscany by Palette Knife Artist Niki Gulley

“Serpentine Drive” ©2019 Niki Gulley 
12″ x 16″ textured oil painting
 
Before we taught our Tuscany Foodie Trek, my husband and I spent a few days exploring the Tuscan countryside, painting and photographing the iconic scenery. “Serpentine Drive” illustrates one of the fascinating places we stopped with its mile long cypress lined drive. It felt like the trees snaked back and forth to infinity! Setting up my easel in late afternoon, I was able to capture the dramatic light as the setting sun illuminated the tops of the rolling hills and created long, dramatic shadows. Between the repetition of the vertical arbors and the horizontally flowing hills, the scene created a rhythmic harmony that added to the joy and serenity of the moment. 
 
 
If you’re interested in joining us on one of upcoming Foodie or Art Treks, please let us know.
 
Venice, Italy Carnival – Feb. 2019
Scotland – Aug. 2019
Foodie Trek – Tuscany – Oct. 2019 – Only 1 Spot left!
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
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To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

 
 

Visiting Montepulciano and Tuscan Wineries with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

“Montepulciano,” Morning Light ©2018 Niki Gulley 

12″ x 9″ textured oil painting • SOLD

Just sold! During our Tuscany Foodie Trek, we headed to the wine town of Montepulciano. Perched atop a giant hill with beautiful views of the surrounding vineyards below, I set up my easel at this breathtaking overlook while the rest of our group visited wineries or took a cooking class with a local chef. 

After lunch, we visited a winery nearby to sample their Rossos, Vino Nobiles and the delicious sweet dessert wine, Vin Santo. Full from the local meats and cheeses and tasty red wines, we headed back to the villa for a quiet night of relaxing and soaking in the evening scenery.

If you’re interested in joining us on one of upcoming Foodie or Art Treks, please let us know.

Venice, Italy Carnival – Feb. 2019

Scotland – Aug. 2019

Foodie Trek – Tuscany – Oct. 2019 – Only 1 Spot left!

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

**********

E-mail Niki Gulley with any questions.

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

Visiting Montepulciano and Tuscan Wineries with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Montepulciano ©2018 Niki Gulley • 12″ x 9″ textured oil painting • SOLD
Day 2, Tuscany Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
Just sold! The next morning of our Tuscany Art Trek, we headed to the wine town of Montepulciano. Perched atop a giant hill with beautiful views of the surrounding vineyards below, we set up our easels at this breathtaking overlook. We had to work quickly to capture the morning light before it disappeared, while the photographers and the others explored ancient wine cellars, quiet back alleys and even got in a little shopping.
 
After lunch, we visited two wineries nearby to sample their Rossos, Vino Nobiles and the delicious sweet dessert wine, Vin Santo. Full from the local meats and cheeses and tasty red wines, we headed back to the villa for a quiet night of relaxing and soaking in the evening scenery.
 
 
If you’re interested in joining us on one of upcoming Art Treks, please let us know.
 
 
Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – September  14 – 23 /2018   
FULL – Fall in New England – Oct. 2018
Venice, Italy (Carnival) – Feb. 2019
Spain – May 2019
Ireland – Aug. 2019
Scotland – Aug. 2019
Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 2019
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
***
To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

 
 
 

“Visions of Blue III” Palette Knife Bluebonnet Painting by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

“Visions of Blue III,” Texas Hill Country ©2018 Niki Gulley
24″ x 12″ textured oil painting
 
I painted these Texas Bluebonnets and wildflowers 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 vertical wildflower series, I’ve framed the paintings in espresso floater frames so that you can still see the textured oil paint continuing around the edges of the canvas. These Texas wildflowers look great hung alone or in a grouping with the rest of the “Visions of Blue” series, too!
 
For more information on my “Visions of Blue” series and more of my Texas hill country landscape paintings, please see my new works at the Good Art Company Gallery in Fredericksburg, goodartcompany.com/gac/.***

To see more of Niki Gulley’s textured landscape paintings please check out NikiGulley.com,
 
E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her Texas bluebonnet and wildflower paintings.

 
 

“Flowing Symmetry” Palette Knife Tulip Painting by Niki Gulley

“Flowing Symmetry” ©2018 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 12″ x 16″ textured oil painting
 
Just Sold! I painted these flowing tulips with extremely thick oil paint and palette knives to achieve depth and texture. The resulting image comes to life and is loaded with color, energy and movement.

 
To see more of Niki Gulley’s textured floral paintings, please check out NikiGulley.com,
 
Or, e-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

Just Sold – “April’s Palette” Texas Bluebonnet Oil Painting by Niki Gulley

“April’s Palette” ©2018 Niki Gulley
SOLD • textured oil painting
 
Just Sold! Recently we loaded up the car and headed south to visit the Texas Hill Country to see the wildflowers in bloom. While not as prolific as some years, the thick patches we found did not disappoint. It’s so exciting to see a massive carpet of blue across our usually green hills, and I love how the bluebonnets signal that spring has arrived!After delivering new art to my gallery, The Good Art Company, in Fredericksburg we ventured north to the Willow City Loop to take in the breathtaking vistas and plethora of wildflowers that normally fill the landscape there. I was drawn to this abundant bluebonnet and wildflower patch contrasted against the dark tree trunk tangle in the background. Erecting my easel along the roadside, I set out to capture this colorful view, full of texture, energy and uplifting spring hues.

For information on my Texas bluebonnet and wildflower series and  to see more of my Texas hill country landscape paintings, please check out NikiGulley.com or http://goodartcompany.com/gacart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=25&sort=20a&page=1&zenid=417ih04llasuk7pl1h0qhj32k1.
 
E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her palette knife contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings.

 
 

New “Over the Hills II” Bluebonnet Painting by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

“Over the Hills II” ©2018 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 18″ x 24″ textured oil painting
 
Just Sold! Recently we loaded up the car and headed south to visit the Texas Hill Country to see the wildflowers in bloom. While not as prolific as some years, the thick patches we found did not disappoint. It’s so exciting to see a massive carpet of blue across our usually green hills, and I love how the bluebonnets signal that spring has arrived!After delivering new art to my gallery, The Good Art Company, in Fredericksburg we ventured north to the Willow City Loop to take in the breathtaking vistas and plethora of wildflowers that normally fill the landscape there. I love this spot as you ascend hill after hill to arrive at the top with beautiful views of the valley below. Erecting my easel along the roadside, I set out to capture the bluebonnets framing the foreground in front of this spectacular view. The road on the right invites you to leisurely drive through the loop while the sun just starts to set. I hope you enjoy the journey and all of your cares drift away!

I painted these Texas Bluebonnets and wildflowers 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 movement.

For information on my “Over the Hills” series and  to see more of my Texas hill country landscape paintings, please check out NikiGulley.com,
 
E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her palette knife contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings.