Niki Gulley paintings

Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams – Day 5

June 18, 2012

5″ x 7″ pastel by Niki Gulley

Day 5 – Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Day 5, we took everyone to the Palace of Versailles, 30 minutes outside of Paris. Decadent and opulent doesn’t begin to describe the castle and grounds where Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI bankrupted the country. It is really something to see! After touring the chateau, we staked out a quiet back corner of the gardens away from the tourist masses, and got out our sketchpads. This massive wisteria, the scale of a medium-szed tree caught our eye, and we had to capture its beautiful violet dripping blooms.

Part of our group in front of the Palace of Versailles.

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If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to

Santa Fe, NM Aug. 12 – 18 (see nikigulley.com/art-classes) or

Tuscany, Italy Aug. 31 – Sept. 8 (visit nikigulley.com/artreks),

please e-mail Niki Gulley for more information. Registration deadlines are quickly approaching. We’d love to have you join us!

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To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, please go to my website at NikiGulley.com.

Day 3 & 4 – Paris Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop w/ Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

June 15, 2012

Day 3 and 4 – Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

On day 3 and 4 of our Paris Art Trek, we concentrated more on site seeing, museum hopping, and of course, eating, with just a little painting and shooting in between. We saw everything from the Mona Lisa at the Louvres to an amazing collection of Monet’s at the Marmottan Museum, from Rodin’s sculpture garden to the incredible impressionist exhibit at the Musee d’Orsay. Some of our group toured the Champ Elysees while others visited the catacombs and Napolean’s Tomb. Stopping for an espresso at a corner café, we relaxed and people watched in Paris style. We topped off the day with an amazing dinner where every morsel was lovingly prepared and each course is a work of art on the plate, accompanied by delicious French wine, discussing our adventures from the day.

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If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to

Santa Fe, NM Aug. 12 – 18 (see nikigulley.com/art-classes) or

Tuscany, Italy Aug. 31 – Sept. 8 (visit nikigulley.com/artreks),

please e-mail Niki Gulley for more information. Registration deadlines are quickly approaching. We’d love to have you join us!

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To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, please go to my website at NikiGulley.com.

Art Trek Paris w/ Niki Gulley & Scott Williams – Day 2, Notre Dame

June 13, 2012

Notre Dame, Rose Window • 10″ x 8″ oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 2, Afternoon – Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

After grabbing a delicious homemade crepé lunch, we staked out this quiet, picturesque view of Notre Dame along the Siene. Some painters chose to include the whole scene with river, church and boats, while myself and a couple of others selected this tighter view on just the intricate stained glass of the rose window. After painting the whites and grays of the cathedral in the morning light, I decided to have a little fun with the colors in the afternoon, after all we were in the home of French Impressionism.

Working with complimentary purples and oranges created vibrant highlights, cool shadows and contrasting colors that cause your eye to dance across the canvas.

One of our painters in front of Notre Dame.

Photo of two of us painting at Notre Dame taken by one of our budding photographers along on the trip. Pretty creative!

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If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to

Santa Fe, NM Aug. 12 – 18 (see nikigulley.com/art-classes) or

Tuscany, Italy Aug. 31 – Sept. 8 (visit nikigulley.com/artreks),

please e-mail Niki Gulley for more information. Registration deadlines are quickly approaching. We’d love to have you join us!

***

To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, please go to my website at NikiGulley.com.

Day 2 – Paris Art Trek with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

June 11, 2012

Notre Dame • 10″ x 8″ oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 2 – Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

On day 2 of our plein-air painting and photography workshop in Paris, we led our group to Notre Dame Cathedral, known for its flying buttress and gargoyles overlooking the city. Since our group had never been before, they visited inside the church and hiked up to the clock tower for amazing views of the city, while I kept everyone’s gear down below. I found a nice, quiet bench and had enough time to paint this view of the backside of the cathedral until everyone finished touring. The church is so complex, I focused in on this view of the nave with it’s stained glass windows and the tops of a couple of the flying buttress to simplify the scene for an 8×10 canvas.

If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to

Santa Fe, NM Aug. 12 – 18 (see nikigulley.com/art-classes) or

Tuscany, Italy Aug. 31 – Sept. 8 (visit nikigulley.com/artreks),

please e-mail Niki Gulley for more information. Registration deadlines are quickly approaching. We’d love to have you join us!

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To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, please go to my website at NikiGulley.com.

Day 1 – Paris Art Trek w/ Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

June 8, 2012

Eiffel Tower • 10″ x 8″ oil painting by Niki Gulley • SOLD

Day 1 – Art Trek Paris

For the first day of our painting & photography workshop in Paris, we had to visit the Eiffel Tower. After enjoying the panorama view from the tallest building in Europe, we grabbed some lunch at a Parisian café and nourished for the afternoon, set up our easels at this lovely park to paint the Eiffel Tower.

Part of our group at the Eiffel Tower.

While the morning was slightly chilly and overcast, the clouds parted and sun came out just in time to paint and shoot. All of our students agreed, this was the perfect spot to paint the Paris landmark – a little shade, a gentle path leading you to the subject, lush greenery and delicate pink, purple petals from the blooming lilac-like trees, tucked away from the crowds.

Some of our painters with their travel easels, painting the Eiffel Tower.

If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to

Santa Fe, NM Aug. 12 – 18 (see nikigulley.com/art-classes) or

Tuscany, Italy Aug. 31 – Sept. 8 (visit nikigulley.com/artreks),

please e-mail Niki Gulley for more information. Registration deadlines are quickly approaching. We’d love to have you join us!

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To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, please go to my website at NikiGulley.com.

“Dancing on Water” textured oil painting by Niki Gulley

June 6, 2012

36” x 60” textured oil painting

Sunlight sparkles across aqua blue water,

diamonds of purple glitter the pond’s surface;

water lilies lift their faces toward the sun and gently dance across the water.

Golden sunlight filters through the brambles and ferns,

a touch of cardinal red peeks through purple and pink foliage

while azure skies reflect in the water.

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E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

Just Sold – “Spring’s Glory, Texas Hill Country”

June 4, 2012

SOLD • 48″ x 30″ textured painting on wrap around canvasJust Sold!”Spring’s Glory” was inspired by a recent trip to the Texas Hill Country. This spring conditions were perfect, and the bluebonnets were amazing! While we were near Fredericksburg, we took a scenic drive along the Willow City Look and as we approached the top of a hill about half way around, we were greeted by this gorgeous view of the rolling hills and bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush in full bloom. Then, to top it off the sun was setting in the distance casting its golden glow and backlighting the wildflowers. I had to capture the magical moment, enhancing the kaleidoscope of colors in the sky and along the ground. Arranging clouds, the road and rows of bluebonnets in rhythmic sweeping shapes, create a harmonious landscape that flows with light, texture and color, and suggest a feeling of optimism about what’s to come.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her Texas bluebonnet paintings.

New Sunflower, “Bathed in Sunshine”

June 1, 2012

30″ x 48″ textured painting on canvas

Inspired by our trip to Provence last summer, I was awestruck by these massive fields of sunflowers blooming. Seeing this brilliant carpet of gold, with its sea of faces smiling towards the sun, just made me feel happy and I wanted you to experience that joy, too. In person “Bathed in Sunshine” practically leaps off the canvas with its vibrant yellow petals and extremely thick three-dimensional paint.

If you’re in Chicago this weekend, please stop by my booth at the 57th Street Art Fair where I will be exhibiting this sunflower painting and more of my contemporary landscape paintings.

57th Street Art Festival

Sat. June 2 • 11am – 6pm

Sun. June 3 • 10am – 5pm

Chicago, IL • on 57th St., between Kenwood and Kimbark Ave.

Booth # 47 or 48

57thstreetartfair.org

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Web – NikiGulley.com • E-mail – Niki Gulley

Plein Air Painting in Santa Fe, New Mexico with Niki Gulley

May 30, 2012

SOLD • 9″ x 12″ textured oil

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

Early discount registration deadline today!

See nikigulley.com/art-classes for more details

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

Above: Our students painting this scenic overlook of the Rio Chama from last year’s Santa Fe Art Trek.

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To see more of Niki Gulley’s textured oil paintings, visit NikiGulley.com.

“Heightened Awareness” textured aspen painting

May 18, 2012

48” x 36” textured oil on canvas

In this painting I wanted you to feel that child-like wonder of staring up in into the treetops and the heavens above. Choosing vibrant, cheerful yellows contrasted against a crystal blue sky and arranging the aspens in a circular pattern heightened by thick, curving paint strokes, both add to that joyful, playful feeling of hope and discovery.

This painting, along with several more of Gulley’s textured aspen and birch tree paintings are hanging at the Good Art Company in Fredericksburg, TX. Visit goodartcompany.com/gac/ for more details.

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Web – NikiGulley.com • E-mail – Niki Gulley