Arriving in Lake Como, Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Como Beauty ©2018 Niki Gulley • 8″ x 10″ Textured oil painting
 
Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 5: Arriving in Varenna on Lake Como
 
Next up on our Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek, we drove to the peaceful town of Varenna at the northern end of Lake Como. Our hotel has the most amazing views of the lake and the colorful town below. It’s my idea of paradise!I love the mountainous scenery surrounding the lake, the unique architecture and the lush foliage that grows everywhere. Strolling along the shore, hopping from town to town on the ferry, and just relaxing on a balcony soaking in that amazing view, are some of the highlights visiting there. On this evening, I set up my easel to capture the soft pinks and yellows as the sun set in the distance over the peaceful village, filling the scene with a magical light.

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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.
 
 
 

Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

“Villa with a View” ©2018 Niki Gulley 
SOLD • 12″ x 9″ oil painting
 
Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 6, afternoon location: Villa Babianello
 
Just Sold! In the afternoon, we visited the impressive Villa Babianello, made famous in both the James Bond and Star Wars films. It lives up to its reputation, perched atop lush formal gardens with a gorgeous scenic overlook of the water. After such beautiful views of the lake that day, we treated ourselves to an elegant dinner with another breathtaking panorama of Lake Como below. Dinner was amazing with red pepper prawn soup, scallops in pumpkin risotto, caprese salad and delicious wine to wash it down!

 
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!
 
 
Vermont Fall Foliage – Oct. 2018
Spain – May 2019
Ireland Foodie Trek – Aug. 2019
Scotland Art Trek – Aug. 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.
 
 
 

New Orleans Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

SOLD • “Dappled Light,” New Orleans ©2017 Niki Gulley • 9″ x 12″ oil painting 
 
New Orleans Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 1: Fabourg Marigny
 
Just Sold! On the first day or our New Orleans Art Trek, I took the painters to the far end of the French Quarter to capture some of the beautiful architecture and wrought iron balconies so typical of the city while Scott led the photographers throughout the Quarter looking for the perfect shot. We couldn’t have asked for a better day. The weather was a perfect sunny 70 degrees with barely a breeze – ideal painting conditions! We breaked for lunch on delicious crab cakes, salads and sandwiches and returned that afternoon to our morning location to finish our work.

 
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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!
 
 
Tuscany – Sept. 2017
Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – Sept. 2017
New England Fall Foliage – Oct. 2017
 Spain – May 2018
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit ArtTreks.org.
 
***
To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 
 

“Villa with a View,” Lake Como, Italy oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Villa with a View” ©2014 Niki Gulley • 12″ x 9″ oil painting • SOLD
 
Cinque Terre and Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 7, afternoon location: Villa Babianello
 
Just Sold! After a busy schedule the day before, several of us opted to take it easy and join a cooking class while others visited the castle in town and one of the villages across the lake. We were whisked away to a tiny nearby hamlet where the chef, Moreno, prepares all of the dishes himself that he serves for dinner at his restaurant. He started the morning out by feeding us cappuccino and homemade cake to enjoy while he began showing us how to roll out and form pasta for cheese tortellini and marinara from scratch. Next up, was a decadent potatoes gruyere with ham slices, all of which we got to sample. The finalé was the creamiest mushroom risotto, local red wine, and don’t forget the limoncello for dessert. Yum!
 
Late that afternoon, we visited the Botanic garden in Varenna, which is spectacular with its colorful tropical plantings, elaborate villa, sculptures and fountains, and fantastic views along the lake. What a great 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!
 
 
Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 2018
Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – Sept. 2018 
New England Fall Foliage – Oct. 2018
 
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit https://www.nikigulley.com/artreks.
 
***
To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 
 

New Orleans Garden District Painting by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

“Oak Beauties,” New Orleans  ©2015 Niki Gulley
12″ x 9″ palette knife oil painting

On our plein air painting and photography workshop my husband and I taught in New Orleans this fall, 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.

“Oak Beauties” along with several of my new palette knife paintings will be featured in my One Woman Show, hosted at the Good Art Company Gallery in Fredericksburg, TX. If interested in more information on pricing or purchasing this palette knife New Orleans painting, please contact The Good Art Company.

The Good Art Company Gallery
Niki Gulley – One Woman Show
Opening Reception / Meet the Artist – April 3rd, 5pm – 9pm
Show continuing through April
218 West Main St.
Fredericksburg, TX
For more information on upcoming Plein-Air Painting and Photography Art Treks workshops, please visit https://www.nikigulley.com/artreks.
To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

E-mail – Niki Gulley

Painting at Oak Alley Plantation with Niki Gulley

“Rooted,” Oak Alley Plantation  ©2014 Niki Gulley • 9″ x 12″ palette knife oil painting
New Orleans Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 4, Oak Alley Plantation

On the final day of our New Orleans Art Trek, we drove out to Oak Alley Plantation and were awed by its impressive grounds and 300 year old oak trees. Enjoying the quiet after the busy bustle of New Orleans, we each set out to capture something different, from the beauty of these old gnarled trees to the formality of the mansion to the modest slave quarters. Everyone’s painting turned out fantastic and we gathered at the end of the day to look at our progress each day and view the photographers slideshows from the trip. What a wonderful Art Trek! 
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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!

Athens and Santorini, Greece – May 8-16, 2015
The French Riviera – June 18-26, 2015
Provence, France – June 25-July 3, 2015
Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 4-12, 2015
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit https://www.nikigulley.com/artreks.
***

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

Painting in the Garden District with Niki Gulley

“Pretty in Pink,” New Orleans  ©2014 Niki Gulley • 12″ x 9″ palette knife oil painting
New Orleans Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 3, The Garden District

On our third day of the New Orleans workshop, we rode the trolley to the Garden District and set out to capture the beautiful architecture while the photographers went in search of the perfect shot. Several of us were attracted to this beautiful grand pink house, and in particular I loved the old oak tree framing it. That evening, we dined again on a delicious Cajun dinner at Brennan’s and took in some local talent at the jazz clubs afterwards. A fun 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!

Athens and Santorini, Greece – May 8-16, 2015
The French Riviera – June 18-26, 2015
Provence, France – June 25-July 3, 2015
Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 4-12, 2015
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit https://www.nikigulley.com/artreks.
***

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

Painting in the French Quarter with Niki Gulley, New Orleans Art Trek

“Flying High,” New Orleans  ©2014 Niki Gulley • 12″ x 9″ palette knife oil painting
New Orleans Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 2, Afternoon Location: The French Quarter

That afternoon, we chose this quieter picturesque alley, loaded with color and life. I loved the vibrant flags flying high from each balcony, while others chose interesting cafés, balconies and storefronts to paint. That night we met up with the photographers and dined on a delicious dinner at Mr. B’s Bistro. A perfect end to the 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!

Athens and Santorini, Greece – May 8-16, 2015
The French Riviera – June 18-26, 2015
Provence, France – June 25-July 3, 2015
Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 4-12, 2015
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit https://www.nikigulley.com/artreks.
***

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

Painting Jackson Square with Niki Gulley, New Orleans Art Trek 2014

SOLD •  5″ x 7″ palette knife oil painting  ©2014 Niki Gulley
New Orleans Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 2: Jackson Square

On the second day of our New Orleans Art Trek, we set up our easels near Jackson Square to capture the architecture and energy of the city while the photographers went on to visit the downtown streets and infamous cemeteries. Some of my painters chose to record the whole street scene, while others focused in on interesting architectural details. I liked this tangled oak tree branch framing the coral wrought iron French Revival building behind it. Again, we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day! On the way to our second painting location, we fueled up on Po Boy sandwiches and refreshments.
***
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!

Athens and Santorini, Greece – May 8-16, 2015
The French Riviera – June 18-26, 2015
Provence, France – June 25-July 3, 2015
Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 4-12, 2015
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit https://www.nikigulley.com/artreks.
***

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

New Orleans Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

  7″ x 5″ palette knife oil painting  ©2014 Niki Gulley
New Orleans Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 1: Fabourg Marigny

Later that afternoon, the light had changed so much on our morning subjects, that some of us had to switch gears and look for a different idea. I loved this tangled oak tree and with the golden light coming on, I set to capturing its vibrant colors before the glow was gone. That evening we went out for a delicious Creole dinner of oysters, jambalaya, shrimp and grits, and other New Orleans favorites while swapping stories from the day and getting to know each other better.
***
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!

Athens and Santorini, Greece – May 8-16, 2015
The French Riviera – June 18-26, 2015
Provence, France – June 25-July 3, 2015
Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 4-12, 2015
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit https://www.nikigulley.com/artreks.
***

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