plein-air painting workshops Europe

“A Pause in Time” Venice pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

February 28, 2023

“A Pause in Time” Venice, Italy by Niki Gulley

18” x 24” pastel

Mysterious, enchanted, dreamlike – Venice is a fairytale at night.

Evening has drawn its starry cloak over the city, the crowds and pigeons are gone and three women enjoy the evening at a café in Piazza San Marco.

This changeling city, this artist’s muse now is unhurried, relaxed and romantic

and this one perfect moment in time is held in artful pastels, satiated colors –

rich velvet textures capture ebony/violet chairs that Peggy, Pollock or Cole Porter may have sat in,

paintings of angels from old Venice and three modern women of today complete this delicate balance in a point of time.

This piece won an award at the Southwest Pastel Society’s National Juried Show Exhibit.

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If you’d also like to experience the beauty, history and culture of Venice, join me and travel photographer, Scott Williams, for our Plein Air Painting and Photography Art Treks. We’d love to have you join us! E-mail Niki Gulley for more information or go to nikigulley.com/artreks for more details.

For more information on “Bon Appetito,” please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, visit NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings and pastels.

“Santorini Sunset” Pastel Landscape by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

September 19, 2014

“Santorini Sunset” ©2014 Niki Gulley
12″ x 24″ pastel

My husband and I honeymooned in Greece and fell in love with everything about it. Definitely one of our favorite spots was the island of Santorini for its beautiful views of the Caldera, its white-washed architecture with the signature blue domes, the laid back attitude and the warmth of the people. Here is a view at the far end of the island in the town of Oia. I wanted to capture the “skyline,” ocean view and the gorgeous sunset that night.

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If you’d also like to experience the beauty, history and culture of Greece, join me and travel photographer, Scott Williams, for our Plein Air Painting and Photography Art Trek to Athens and Santorini, Greece May 8-16, 2015. We’d love to have you join us! E-mail Niki Gulley for more information or go to nikigulley.com/artreks for more details on France, Greece, or our Italy Art Treks.

For more information on “Santorini Sunset,” please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, visit NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings and pastels.

“Dining al Fresco” Venice pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

September 10, 2014

A warm evening breeze stirs, caressing your face as you dine. The sights and sounds of Venice mingle before your eyes, an unfolding opera of color and light. A couple strolls, enamored with the beauty that envelopes them, drawn into the Italian night, hand in hand. The love between them is nearly palpable, and as they pass you by, you feel it radiate off of them, just as the light spreads itself against the encroaching night.

The soft touch of the pastels help to capture the calm evening. Venice is filled with the romance and this scene really resonated with me. The warm palette gives one a feeling of calm, a comforting touch, as if by a summer breeze.

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If you’d also like to experience the beauty, history and culture of Venice, join me and travel photographer, Scott Williams, for our Plein Air Painting and Photography Art Trek to Venice during Carnivalé, Feb. 7-14, 2015. We’d love to have you join us! E-mail Niki Gulley for more information or go to nikigulley.com/artreks for more details on France, Greece, or our Italy Art Treks.

For more information on “Dining al Fresco,” please e-mail Niki Gulley nikigulley@sbcglobal.net .

Or, visit NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings and pastels.

“A Pause in Time” Venice pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

September 8, 2014

18” x 24” pastel

Mysterious, enchanted, dreamlike – Venice is a fairytale at night.

Evening has drawn its starry cloak over the city, the crowds and pigeons are gone and three women enjoy the evening at a café in Piazza San Marco.

This changeling city, this artist’s muse now is unhurried, relaxed and romantic

and this one perfect moment in time is held in artful pastels, satiated colors –

rich velvet textures capture ebony/violet chairs that Peggy, Pollock or Cole Porter may have sat in,

paintings of angels from old Venice and three modern women of today complete this delicate balance in a point of time.

This piece won an award at the Southwest Pastel Society’s 31st National Juried Show Exhibit.

***

For more information on “Bon Appetito,” please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, visit NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings and pastels.

“Bon Appetito” Venice pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

September 5, 2014

“Bon Appetito” ©2014 Niki Gulley
Pastel 24” x 36”

On my first trip to Europe, my husband wanted to take me to Venice since it was one of his favorite cities, and I fell in love with almost everything about it. The timeless quality created by living on canals free of cars, the history in the architecture and even the cobbled walkways, the beauty of the scenery and the magical quality created by the light to name just a few of my favorite things. I love how food and meals play such an important role in Italian culture – a time to slow down and enjoy friendships while savoring the locally grown cuisine and wines over the course of the evening. In this pastel I wanted to communicate all of those joyful feelings in addition to capturing the energy and romance of the city at night. Bon Appetito!

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For more information on “Bon Appetito,” please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, visit NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings and pastels.

“Coming Up Sunshine” New Sunflower Palette Knife painting by Niki Gulley

March 31, 2014

24″ x 12″ textured oil painting on wrap around canvas

Inspired by our travels to Provence, I painted these cheerful sunflowers with extremely thick oil paint and palette knife so that the resulting image leaps off the canvas and is loaded with energy, color and texture.

To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com or if you are in the Dallas area this weekend, please stop by my booth at the Deep Ellum Arts Festival.

Deep Ellum Art Festival (TX)
Fri. April 4 • 11pm – 9pm
Sat. April 5 • 11am – 9pm
Sun. April 6 • 11am – 7pm
Dallas • booth #39 on Main @Walton
DeepEllumArtsFestival.com

For more information on my plein air paintings and workshops in Italy and France, please e-mail Niki Gulley

or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

Day 4, Venice Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

March 19, 2014

Venice Art Trek, Day 4, Doge’s Palace and Painting the back canals

12″ x 9″ textured oil painting by Niki Gulley

On our fourth day of our Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop, we visited the Doge’s Palace, in all of its glory and were awed by its impressive art collection by Italian masters. Taking the “Secret Tour” we learned about parts of the Palace that you can’t normally see, including the prisons, the torture room and stories of Casanova.

That afternoon we chose another back canal to paint while the photographers covered off the beaten path parts of the island. I liked the way the sunlight reflected across the water’s surface, and I really wanted to capture a gondola in the distance, but since they move so quickly that was no easy task! Luckily there was a steady stream of gondolas passing by our location late in the day. I found myself painting as quickly as I could while one came into my composition, and if I didn’t capture it in time, fortunately another vessel would come into view shortly afterwards, and I was pleased with the results.

A delicious home-made Italian meal to end the day with new friends!

If you’d like to join us on one of our upcoming Art Treks, please let me know. For more details, E-mail Niki@NikiGulley.com or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

Upcoming Art Treks

Paris, France – June 19-27, 2014

Provence, France – June 26 – July 4, 2014 – wait list only

Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 5-13, 2014

Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – Sept. 12-21, 2014

Athens and Santorini, Greece – May 2015

French Riviera – June 2015

Provence, France – June 2015

Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops

Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

These workshops are filling up quickly, so we encourage you to register soon!

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www.NikiGulley.com

Pastel Demonstration by Texas Artist Niki Gulley for the Mid Cities Art League

January 27, 2014

“Tuscan Dreams” ©2014 Niki Gulley
14″ x 11″ pastel

Inspired from one of our Art Treks to Tuscany, I chose to paint this cypress grove for my pastel demonstration for the Mid Cities Art League last week. First creating an underpainting in the complimentary reds and oranges, I then layered and cross hatched my pastels allowing some of the underneath layers to show through. The resulting image is loaded with uplifting color, energy and movement!

If you’d like to join us in Tuscany for our next Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop Sept. 5th-13th, please let me know. For more details, e-mail Niki Gulley or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

Upcoming Art Treks

Venice, Italy – Carnivalé – Feb. 22-Mar. 1, 2014

Paris, France – June 19-27, 2014

Provence, France – June 26 – July 4, 2014

Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 5-13, 2014

Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – Sept. 12-21, 2014

Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops

Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

These workshops are filling up quickly, so we encourage you to register soon!

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E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

NikiGulley.com

“Autumn Morning,” Tuscany Plein Air Painting by Niki Gulley

January 20, 2014

Created on our Tuscany Art Trek in September, I decided to paint this view from villa, since I’d been admiring it every day of the trip. It was a gorgeous morning with beautiful puffy white clouds that gave the landscape a beautiful soft filtered light. Working with palette knife, this Tuscan landscape is loaded with texture, color and movement!

For lunch that afternoon, we feasted on fresh local fruit and vegees, pecorinos, cured meats and a little wine and prosecco at the villa. Bon appetito!

If you’d like to join us in Tuscany for our next Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop Sept. 5th-13th, please let me know. The final registration deadline of Jan. 25th is quickly approaching! For more details, e-mail Niki Gulley or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

Upcoming Art Treks

Venice, Italy – Carnivalé – Feb. 22-Mar. 1, 2014

Paris, France – June 19-27, 2014

Provence, France – June 26 – July 4, 2014

Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 5-13, 2014

Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – Sept. 12-21, 2014

Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops

Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

These workshops are filling up quickly, so we encourage you to register soon!

***

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

NikiGulley.com

Painting and Photographing in Cinque Terre, Italy with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

October 21, 2013

9″ x 12″ Textured Oil Painting by Niki Gulley

Day 2, Afternoon Location: Vernazza
CINQUE TERRE / LAKE COMO ART TREK

Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

After a delicious lunch of fresh seafood, homemade pasta and pesto sauce and the ripest tomatoes and vegetables, we rode the train north to the picturesque village of Vernazza. Again, situating ourselves near the calming ocean sounds, we decided to paint this colorful view back towards town. The bold array of hues in the umbrellas, boats and buildings, were so much fun to paint!

That night we enjoyed a beautiful sunset view from our restaurant’s terrace.

If you’d like to join us in Cinque Terre / Lake Como for our next Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop Sept. 12th-21st, please let me know. The workshop is already half full and a final registration deadline of Nov. 2nd is quickly approaching, so sign up soon! For more details, e-mail Niki Gulley or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

Upcoming Art Treks

Venice, Italy – Carnivalé – Feb. 22-Mar. 1, 2014

Paris, France – June 19-27, 2014

Provence, France – June 26 – July 4, 2014

Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 5-13, 2014

Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – Sept. 12-21, 2014

Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops

Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

These workshops are filling up quickly, so we encourage you to register soon!

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

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To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings and plein air oil paintings, please visit my website at NikiGulley.com.