Last Night, Lake Como / Cinque Terre Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Day 7:  CINQUE TERRE / LAKE COMO ART TREK
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

After some free time in the afternoon, we gathered for a slide show, critique and recap happy hour of our trip. It’s always so much fun to see how every photographer and painter captures the scenery so differently, even sometimes when we are standing in the exact same spot and it’s a great way to revisit memories from our week. For dinner that night, we treated ourselves to a gourmet meal with incredible views of the lake from the restaurant’s terrace. A perfect ending to a wonderful trip!
A quick sunset sketch of Lake Como • 8″ x 10″ oil painting by Niki Gulley
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.  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
Workshops fill up fast, so don’t wait to register!

E-mail me at [email protected] for more information.
***
To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings and plein air oil paintings, please visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

Day 5, Lake Como, Italy Plein Air Painting and Photo Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

12″ x 9″ oil painting by Niki Gulley
Day 5, Lake Como: Villa Balbianello
 CINQUE TERRE / LAKE COMO ART TREK
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

On the fifth day of our Cinque Terre / Lake Como Art Trek, we awoke to a gorgeous morning. We rode the ferry to Lenno, and then arrived in style by private water taxi at the beautiful, lush Villa Balbianello. Perched on a cliff overlooking the lake, the manor and tropical gardens are immaculately maintained and exquisite. While difficult to figure out how to capture that beauty on film or canvas, we were up for the challenge and loved every minute of the idyllic setting. 
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 this Saturday 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
Registration Deadline: Saturday Nov. 2nd

E-mail me at [email protected] for more information.
***
To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings and plein air oil paintings, please visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

9″ x 12″ oil painting by Niki Gulley
Day 4, Lake Como:  CINQUE TERRE / LAKE COMO ART TREK
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

The next day, we loaded everyone into the van and headed to the beautiful, peaceful town of Varenna on Lake Como. After checking into our hotel with incredible views of the lake and town below, we visited the lush Italian garden of Villa Monastero. It was a perfect afternoon and while the photographers strolled the gardens, we set up our easels by this gorgeous colorful flower bed and the ornate villa behind it. I loved the lion statues adorning the entry and set out to capture the scene before we lost our light. Finishing a little early, we grabbed a glass of prosecco and took in the tranquil views across the lake. For dinner that night, we sampled the local fish and pastas, washed down with a delicious red wine.
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 next Saturday 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
Registration Deadline: Saturday Nov. 2nd

E-mail me at [email protected] for more information.
***
To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings and plein air oil paintings, please visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

Day 3, Cinque Terre Plein-Air Painting / Photo Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

9″ x 12″ pastel by Niki Gulley
Day 3, Manarola:  CINQUE TERRE / LAKE COMO ART TREK
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

On our third day in the Cinque Terre, us painters set up our easels from the hiking trail to look back at the town of Manarola while the photographers hiked around the town of Cornelia in the morning and joined us in Manarola in the afternoon. Since we had more time today, we all decide to paint the intricate stacked buildings in front of us and once again, listen to the sound of the waves crashing below us.

For dinner, we dined al fresco along the waterfront with a fantastic meal of fresh seafood and grilled fish and a little red wine to wash it down! A perfect ending to our Cinque Terre portion of our Art Trek.
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 [email protected] for more information.
***
To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings and plein air oil paintings, please visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

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

10″ x 8″ textured oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 4, afternoon:  TUSCANY ART TREK
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

After we were fortified from a delicious lunch, we headed to La Foce, a beautiful Italian villa and formal gardens set in the middle of the rolling Tuscan hills. The perfectly planted cypress are so unique to Tuscany that we chose them for our subject today set against a bright blue sky and peaceful sweeping clouds. For dinner that night, we treated ourselves to the “truffle tasting menu,” melted pecorino and honey, Florentine steak and a little vino nobile and vin santo to wash them down. Delicious food and great company with new friends!

Our photographers getting into shooting one of the cypress lined roads in Tuscany!



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. Early registration deadline of Nov. 16th for a $600 savings 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 [email protected] for more information.
***
To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings and plein air oil paintings, please visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

Day 1, Tuscany Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

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

Day 1:  TUSCANY ART TREK
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
On the first day of our Tuscany Art Trek, we set up and painted right at the villa where we were staying. The views are incredible of the surrounding valleys and hill towns, and I chose to paint this ancient well on the back of the property framing Pienza in the distance. For lunch we dined al fresco at the farmhouse on local meats, cheeses and amazing fruits and vegetables, and in the afternoon we went exploring in the countryside. A perfect first day in Tuscany!

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. Early registration deadline of Nov. 16th for a $600 savings 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 [email protected] for more information.

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

New Venice Oil Painting by Niki Gulley

“Back Canals,” Venice ©2013 Niki Gulley
8″ x 10″ oil painting

On the last day of our Venice Art Trek, St. Mark’s Square was packed with tourists and people dressed up in costumes for Carnivalé which we loved seeing, but we were hoping to find a quieter spot to paint. So we left the photographers and headed back into the local neighborhoods where it was very peaceful and picturesque. I liked the ornamentation on this bridge and the way the light danced across the water making it shimmer.
If you’d like to join us in Venice for our next Art Trek during Carnival Feb. 22 – Mar. 1, please let me know. The registration deadline of Oct. 12th 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 & 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!

***

Last Day Venice Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Venice ©2013 Niki Gulley
8″ x 10″ oil painting

On the last day of our Venice Art Trek, St. Mark’s Square was packed with tourists and people dressed up in costumes for Carnivalé which we loved seeing, but we were hoping to find a quieter spot to paint. So we left the photographers and headed back into the local neighborhoods where it was very peaceful and picturesque. I liked the ornamentation on this bridge and the way the light danced across the water and the under side of the structure.

If you’d like to join us on one of our upcoming European Art Treks, please let me know. Closer to home I’ll be leading a Plein Air Painting Workshop sponsored through the Good Art Company gallery in Fredericksburg, TX, April 5-7.

ArtTreks
Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 6-14, 2013
Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – Sept. 13-22, 2013
Provence, France – June 2014
Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop
Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
For more details, E-mail Niki Gulley or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

Plein Air Painting in the Texas Hill Country
During bluebonnet and wildflower season!
April 5-7, 2013

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


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Cinque Terre / Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

“Peaceful Harbor,” Lake Como, Italy ©2013 Niki Gulley
SOLD • oil on canvas • 24″ x 36″
Lake Como, Italy is probably my favorite spot from all of our travels. The vistas are simply breathtaking with the alps in the background, the gorgeous blue of the lake, the brightly colored unique buildings and the lush foliage dotting the magnificent gardens. I love this little laid back town of Varenna, which is so peaceful that all of your cares just melt away. 
Now we can’t wait to share the Italian experience with other painters, photographers and anyone interested in traveling, so we are leading an Art Trek to Lake Como and Cinque Terre this September. If you’d also like to experience the beauty, history and culture of Italy, join me and travel photographer, Scott Williams, for our Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop to Cinque Terre and Lake Como from Sept. 6th – Sept. 14th.

Our unique Art Treks afford you the option to choose which aspects interest you, whether it is painting, photography, both or neither, thereby giving you an opportunity to make the most of your experience. Our trips are designed to hone your skills and expand your creativity, all while you further your artistic voice and immerse yourself in the region’s culture and lifestyle. Non-participating partners are encouraged to join us for a reduced price, and we’ll help with travel arrangements, tours, transportation, etc. while we’re painting and photographing.

ArtTreks – Cinque Teere and Lake Como, Italy
Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop
Sept. 13-22, 2013
Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Early Registration Deadline for a $500 Savings: Jan. 11
Final Registration Deadline: March 1

Add on a second Art Trek back to back with the Cinque Terre / Lake Como trip, and join us in Tuscany Sept. 6-14 for a 2 week Italian adventure!


For more details, E-mail Niki Gulley or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

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


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Deadline this week for Venice Art Trek

“Dreamlike Journey,” Venice, Italy ©2012 Niki Gulley
12” x 9” pastel

I created this pastel during a workshop my husband and I taught in Venice. We love the city, and there is so much inspiration there between the art, architecture, canals and magical light that it’s really hard to narrow down what to paint! On this day, we decided to stick with a classic view of the canals. I like the way light peeks through the narrow passageway and leads your eye from building to building, and the gondola that happened into the scene created the perfect finishing detail.

If you’d also like to experience the beauty, history and culture of Venice, join me and my husband / travel photographer, Scott Williams, for our Plein Air Painting and Photography Art Trek to Venice during Carnivalé, Feb. 2-9. Our unique Art Treks afford you the option to choose which aspects interest you, whether it is painting, photography, both or neither, thereby giving you an opportunity to make the most of your experience. Our trips are designed to hone your skills and expand your creativity, all while you further your artistic voice and immerse yourself in the region’s culture and lifestyle. Non-participating partners are encouraged to join us for a reduced price, and we’ll help with travel arrangements, tours, transportation, etc. while we’re painting and photographing.

Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop
Carnivalé – Venice, Italy
Feb. 2-9, 2013
Taught by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Final Registration deadline: Nov. 18

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.