Tag: Niki Gulley paintings

Tuscany Plein-Air Painting / Photo Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

September 21, 2012
9×12 textured oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 1 – Tuscany Art Trek

We had so much fun painting at the villa in the morning, that we decided to paint another farmhouse in a different direction next. With so much to choose from, it was had to pick just one subject! This time, we all decided to work with palette knife and thick juicy oil paint, enjoying creating texture and the exciting color combinations that occur while working wet in wet with the paint. As a treat when we were finished, we met up with the others in the group for a delicious lunch of local proscuittos, pecorino cheeses, fruits and vegees, and of course, a little vino for afternoon fuel!

Two of our painters, Sheri Jones (above) and Pat (below) also working with palette knife in Tuscany.

If you’d like to join us for next year’s Art Trek to Venice in February, Greece in May, Tuscany in September or Cinque Terre / Lake Como in September, please visit NikiGulley.com/Artreks for more information. Workshops fill up quickly, so please let us know if you are interested. The early deadline and to receive a $500 savings for the Venice workshop is less than a month away.



If you have questions about the Art Treks workshops or are interested in purchasing any of my plein air paintings, please e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com.

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US Classes and Workshops – nikigulley.com/art-classes.

Travel Art Treks and Plein Air Workshops – nikigulley.com/artreks/
Available Paintings – NikiGulley.com

Tuscany Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

September 20, 2012
9×12 oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 1, Morning Location – Tuscany Art Trek

On the first full day of our Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop in Tuscany, we painted right outside the door of the villa where we were staying. The scenery was so amazing, with 360 degree views of the rolling hills and valleys, that we wanted to stay there and take it all in. With so many interesting vistas, it was hard to choose what to paint, but I decided to narrow my focus to this red roofed home and the sunlit hills leading up to it. I began my demo by quickly sketching out the scene and then blocking in my major colors and values. Once the canvas was filled, I concentrated on the focal point, adding details, highlights and shadows to the building and cypress trees. Next I started giving the hills dimension and defined the lone cypress on the right to break up the foreground and increase the sense of depth. A perfect morning to start out the trip!

After our flight, we finally arrived at our villa in Tuscany where the owners had put out a delicious spread of locally grown fruits and vegees – so delicious and a welcome treat!

If you’d like to join us for next year’s Art Trek to Venice in February, Greece in May, Tuscany in September or Cinque Terre / Lake Como in September, please visit NikiGulley.com/Artreks for more information. Workshops fill up quickly, so please let us know if you are interested. The early deadline and to receive a $500 savings for the Venice workshop is less than a month away.



If you have questions about the Art Treks workshops or are interested in purchasing any of my plein air paintings, please e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com.

***




US Classes and Workshops – nikigulley.com/art-classes.

Travel Art Treks and Plein Air Workshops – nikigulley.com/artreks/
Available Paintings – NikiGulley.com

New Painting Workshop, “Coloring Outside the Lines” with Niki Gulley

September 17, 2012
“Colorful Transformation” ©2012 Niki Gulley
36″ x 48″ textured oil painting on wrap around canvas

With “Colorful Transformation,” I wanted to focus on brilliant color and simple shapes to see if I could communicate the excitement I feel when surrounded by nature. Using energetic diagonal strokes and thick, textured paint, I hope you get a sense of the motion in the leaves and the power of nature to invigorate your spirit. I just love how this piece captured that essence!

I’m excited to announce that I will be teaching a 3 day workshop, “Coloring Outside the Lines” at my gallery in Fredericksburg, TX Nov. 2-4. So if you would like to learn how to paint with more freedom and color, please join me for this fun-filled workshop!
“Coloring Outside the Lines”
Painting workshop with Niki Gulley
9am to 4 pm daily • Nov. 2, 3, 4
The Good Art Company • Fredericksburg, TX
Registration Deadline • Oct. 16th
Contact niki@nikigulley.com for more details on her workshops 
or for more information on her birch painting, “Colorful Transformation.”

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US Classes and Workshops – nikigulley.com/art-classes.

Travel Art Treks and Plein Air Workshops – nikigulley.com/artreks/
Available Paintings – NikiGulley.com

Last Day of the Santa Fe Art Trek w/ Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

September 12, 2012
SANTA FE ART TREK:  Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams  
Day 5, afternoon critique & dinner
We finished our Santa Fe Art Trek with a final critique, sharing our work from the various locations. Above you can see each student’s interpretation of the Rio Chama. I love how every painter’s personality comes through in their work and how uniquely each one saw the same scene. Below are a few more examples of our paintings and pastels from the day we painted in Santa Fe.

To complete the week, those who could make it to dinner enjoyed some delicious red and green chile dishes at La Choza, as we reminisced about the trip and enjoyed our last night together before driving home the next day. A perfect week in Santa Fe!
Visit nikigulley.com/artreks/ for upcoming Art Treks and Workshops or
E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.For new classes and workshops in Texas this fall, see nikigulley.com/art-classes.

Day 5, Santa Fe Art Trek with Niki Gulley

September 10, 2012
SANTA FE ART TREK:  Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams  
Day 5, morning location, Canyoncito
12″ x 24″ textured oil by Niki Gulley
On the final day of our Santa Fe Art Trek, we headed to this quiet dead end road to paint the church at Canyoncito. The only traffic we saw all morning was one car and 2 bicyclists, which allowed us to really concentrate on the scene. The church is so charming that I decided to paint it in the setting around it to add to that idyllic feel. I loved how the brilliant white of the stucco and the red roof made the church stand out against all of the greenery and blue sky.
Niki Gulley painting along side Terri at Canyoncito.
Visit nikigulley.com/artreks/ for upcoming Art Treks and Workshops or
E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.For new classes and workshops in Texas this fall, see nikigulley.com/art-classes.

Plein Air Painting taught by Niki Gulley, Santa Fe

September 7, 2012
SANTA FE ART TREK:  Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams  
Day 4, afternoon location – Red Rocks
9″ x 12″ textured oil by Niki Gulley
That afternoon, we moved on to this fascinating rock outcropping that seems to rise out of nowhere with intense red hues and hundreds of cracks and crevices that actually look hand-sculpted rather than naturally made. Again, each painter picked a different vantage point, with some capturing the whole formation, while others cropped in tight on a close-up of the cliffs, and I chose to just include the edge of them contrasted against the distant purple mountain and a sliver of the road cutting through the rocky terrain.
Painting at the red rocks formation.
Visit nikigulley.com/artreks/ for upcoming Art Treks and Workshops or
E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.For new classes and workshops in Texas this fall, see nikigulley.com/art-classes.

Santa Fe Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams, Day 3

August 31, 2012
SANTA FE ART TREK:  Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams  
Day 3, afternoon location – Rancho de Chimayo
7″ x 5″ oil by Niki Gulley

After a delicious Mexican lunch at Rancho de Taos, we took the scenic High Road to Taos south towards Chimayo, fueled and ready to paint another important New Mexico landmark. This afternoon, most everyone chose to come in close on El Santuario de Chimayo and focus on details and angles over the whole scene. I chose this viewpoint of the bell towers, while several of my students created lovely paintings of the gate, as pictured below. We ended the day with an incredible meal and satisfying sangria at Rancho de Chimayo, enjoying the cool evening on the patio and the company of new friends.
Visit nikigulley.com/artreks/ for upcoming Art Treks and Workshops or
E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.For new classes and workshops in Texas this fall, see nikigulley.com/art-classes.

Day 2, Santa Fe Art Trek with Niki Gulley

August 24, 2012
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.

Santa Fe Plein Air Painting Workshop

August 22, 2012
SANTA FE ART TREK:  
Day 1, afternoon location – Echo Canyon
12″ x 9″ textured oil by Niki Gulley

That afternoon, we headed north to Echo Canyon, a natural stone amphitheater with beautiful rugged surroundings. After painting the entire landscape in the morning, we decided to focus in on a vignette in the afternoon and isolate our focal point. Some of my students chose trees, others rocks, and I picked this lone, persistent conifer growing out the top of the sandstone formation. I liked the dramatic shadows, the texture in the rocks, and the strong will of this one scraggly pine tree. The sky was amazing with dynamic clouds sweeping into our view from distant showers, and I had to capture some of that movement and energy in this scene, too. Luckily the storms stayed away and we had a lovely afternoon!
Above: Niki Gulley helping one of her students with her pastels.
Visit nikigulley.com/artreks/ for upcoming Art Treks and Workshops or
E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

See NikiGulley.com to see more of her contemporary landscape paintings.

Santa Fe Art Trek w/ Niki Gulley and Scott Williams – Ghost Ranch

August 20, 2012
SANTA FE ART TREK:  
Day 1, morning location – Ghost Ranch, New Mexico
12″ x 9″ pastel by Niki Gulley

On the first day of our Santa Fe Plein-Air Painting and Photography Workshop, we headed to the gorgeous hills where Georgia O’Keefe resided, now understanding fully why she chose to live there. The rock formations were beautiful, the desert scenery had a rugged, uninhabited wild west feel, and the clouds were spectacular. I chose this location for my pastel demo, being attracted to the light on the distant mountain peaks, and the bushy sagebrush in the foreground.
I quickly drew my major shapes, then working with the sides of my pastels, blocked in my darks and simplified the scene into larger color passages. Tweaking the composition as I went so everything flowed together and kept your eye moving around the painting, I started developing my focal area in the distance, establishing more details in the cracks and crevices and accentuating the dramatic lights and darks with complimentary colors. Then, I moved into details on the sagebrush and suggested the deep shadow underneath. Last, I filled in the middle ground in between, making sure to keep soft edges and a closer color and value range there, so as not to take away from the other areas. A perfect morning in an amazing location!
Above: Some of our painters at Ghost Ranch.
Visit nikigulley.com/artreks/ for upcoming Art Treks and Workshops or
E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.