Day 6, Ireland Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

9″ x 12″ oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 6:  Ireland ART TREK
Morning location: Dingle Peninsula & Killarney Castle
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
The next day of our Ireland Art Trek, the photographers and tourists ventured out to tour the Dingle Peninsula with its craggy coves, cute fishing villages and spectacular ocean views, stopping at castles,  Dingle town, waterfalls and various landmarks along the way. My painters wanted to stay at our castle grounds and paint right where we were lodging because the scenery was so beautiful. For our morning location, we set up our easels in the castle’s garden. The brilliance of the various greens was so intense that I had to capture that along with this romantic gazebo beckoning you to sit down and enjoy the view.

Our photographers and tourists visiting the Dingle Peninsula.
 
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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!
 
 
FULL – Croatia and Slovenia – May  9 – 17 (or with extended 4 days May 9 – 21 /2018
Tuscany, Italy – Sept 7-15, 2018
Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – September  14 – 23 /2018   
Fall in New England – Oct. 2018
 
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 5, Ireland Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

9″ x 12″ oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 5:  Ireland ART TREK
Killarney
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
On the next morning of our Ireland Art Trek, we left for Killarney, making a pit stop in the adorable thatch-roofed town of Adare. After exploring and grabbing lunch, we drove onto our lodging for the next few nights, a 16th century castle, fit for a king! Dinner was also delicious that evening in the castle’s dining room.

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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!
 
 
FULL – Croatia and Slovenia – May  9 – 17 (or with extended 4 days May 9 – 21 /2018
Tuscany, Italy – Sept 7-15, 2018
Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – September  14 – 23 /2018   
Fall in New England – Oct. 2018
Ireland – Aug. 2019
Scotland – Aug. 2019
 
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 4, Ireland Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

9″ x 12″ oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 4:  Ireland ART TREK
Cliffs of Moher
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
On the fourth morning of our Ireland Art Trek, we explored the exotic Cliffs of Moher. Unfortunately, we received some of that Irish sunshine and only got in a quick glimpse before the sideways rain and wind got the best of us. Since the afternoon was washed out, too, we decided to paint our impressions back at the hotel. Several of the tourists went into town to shop and sightsee, and the photographers gathered around the fireplace to receive a lesson on Photoshop and Lightroom. It turned out to be a great day! That night we dined again on a delicious seafood dinner at a cozy garden restaurant nearby.
 
 
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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!
 
 
FULL – Croatia and Slovenia – May  9 – 17 (or with extended 4 days May 9 – 21 /2018
Tuscany, Italy – Sept 7-15, 2018
Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – September  14 – 23 /2018   
Fall in New England – Oct. 2018
Ireland – Aug. 2019
Scotland – 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.

 

Day 3, Ireland Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

9″ x 12″ oil painting by Niki Gulley
 

Day 3:  Ireland ART TREK
Galway
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
After spending the first two days of our Ireland Art Trek in Dublin, we moved onto the happening city of Galway next. After a quick bite, us painters set up our easels along the “Long Walk” to capture the colorful houses along the cove while the photographers and tourists explored downtown and joined us later that afternoon. While we managed to stay dry, you can see from the painting that we had very dramatic skies and moody colors! A fun challenge to capture after coming from sunny Dallas, TX. That evening we checked into our hotel near the Cliffs of Moher and thoroughly enjoyed a delicious gourmet dinner that night.

 
***
 
If you’re interested in joining us on one of upcoming Art Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!
 
 
FULL – Croatia and Slovenia – May  9 – 17 (or with extended 4 days May 9 – 21 /2018
Tuscany, Italy – Sept 7-15, 2018
Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – September  14 – 23 /2018   
Fall in New England – Oct. 2018
 
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 and 2, Ireland Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

9″ x 12″ oil painting by Niki Gulley • SOLD

Day 2:  Ireland ART TREK
Trinity College, Dublin
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
On the first day of our Ireland Art Trek, we arrived in Dublin and got acquainted with the bustling city. After a good night’s sleep, we spent the next morning painting and exploring the grounds of Trinity College. The photographers shot inside the library and around campus while we set up our easels in this quiet courtyard. The architecture was fascinating, and I loved this wooden bench beckoning passers by to sit down and take in the sights. That afternoon we gave everyone free time to explore, photograph, shop, etc. and that evening we all reconnected for a traditional delicious Irish dinner of Guiness stew, fish and chips and various pies.

Exploring the Temple Bar neighborhood in Dublin.
 
***
 
If you’re interested in joining us on one of upcoming Art Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!
 
 
FULL – Croatia and Slovenia – May  9 – 17 (or with extended 4 days May 9 – 21 /2018
Tuscany, Italy – Sept 7-15, 2018
Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – September  14 – 23 /2018   
Fall in New England – Oct. 2018
 
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.

 
 

Painting and Photographing Sunset in Santorini with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

“Oia Sunset” © 2017 Niki  Gulley • Greece Art Trek:  Oia, Santorini
SOLD • 7″ x 5″ oil painting by Niki Gulley
 
Just Sold! I painted this small oil on location in Santorini during our Greece Art Trek. Since we only had about 15 minutes to capture the actual sun setting, we had to sketch the scene in advance, anticipate how the light might look, and pre-mix our golden colors. Then as the sun was dropping, we quickly had to paint those warm reflected lights on the buildings and the water and the golden glow in the sky. While challenging, it was a lot of fun and such a beautiful setting to paint! Capping the evening off, we had a delicious dinner in town at the most picturesque garden restaurant and relived the highlights of the day.
 
Our photographers staking out their spots to shoot sunset.
 
Dinner that night.
 
If you’d like to join us on one of our upcoming Art Treks, check out ArtTreks.org for details.
 
Please check out my website at NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionistic paintings.

 
E-mail – Niki Gulley

 

“True Blue” Palette Knife Oil Painting from Santorini, Greece by Niki Gulley

“True Blue”©2017 Niki Gulley
10″ x 8″ oil painting  • SOLD
 
Just Sold! On our Art Trek to Greece, we chose to paint this iconic view of Santorini with the white orthodox church crowned by its blue dome, overlooking the ocean. The photographers dropped us off, as they continued back to Oia to shoot some more. While the scenery seemed simple, it proved challenging to paint the round dome on top of a hexagon base, and the three men removing the bells from the tower kept interrupting our scene (which we chose not to paint into the composition), but overall it was a beautiful morning and we were pretty happy with the results!
 
That afternoon we rode the cable cars to the port below and caught a boat cruise that ferried us across the bay and around the island at sunset. Stopping at the volcano, we hiked to the top, which was quite intriguing with its sci-fi type lava rock. Next we stopped at a hot spring for anyone who wanted to swim. And, finally we cruised around the island enjoying the view from the water, sipping some Greek wines and nibbling on some local meats and cheeses. A great end to the day!
 
On top of the volcano with Santorini in the background.
 
If you are interested in joining us on a future art trek, check out ArtTreks.org for details about upcoming trips.
 
Please check out my website at NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionistic paintings.

 
E-mail – Niki Gulley

 

“Kid’s Perspective” Palette Knife Aspen Tree Painting by Niki Gulley

“Kid’s Perspective” ©2017 Niki Gulley
SOLD • textured oil painting on canvas • 20″ x 30″
Just Sold!  In “Kid’s Perspective” I wanted you to feel that child-like wonder of staring up in into the treetops and heavens above. Choosing uplifting golds and soft shades of tangerine contrasted against a blue sky with gentle clouds drifting by, I’ve arranged the aspens in a circular pattern to give you a sense of laying on the ground, surrounded by the forest and to direct your eye to the focal point. Utilizing thick, curving paint strokes adds to that joyful, playful feeling of hope and discovery.

To see more of my impressionist palette knife paintings, please visit NikiGulley.com. 
 
If you have any questions about my aspen and birch tree paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Tuscan Vineyard Palette Knife Oil Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

SOLD • 48″ x 60″ textured oil painting
 
I was recently commissioned to paint this vineyard scene set against miles of rolling hills dotted with grapevines and olive trees. Working from some of my plein air sketches, photographs, and personal memories from our trips to the area, I created this large textured oil painting with palette knives and tons of paint. 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 ArtTreks.org 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.

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

 
“Visions of Blue III,” Texas Hill Country ©2017 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.