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

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.

Painting Rancho de Taos with Niki Gulley

SANTA FE ART TREK:  Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams  
Day 3, morning location – Rancho de Taos
10″ x 8″ textured oil by Niki Gulley

On day 3 of our Santa Fe Art Trek, we headed north to paint Rancho de Taos, made famous in paint by Georgia O’Keefe and in film by Ansel Adams. Today each of my students saw the adobe structure differently, and each chose a unique perspective of the building. Spending most of the morning helping everyone with perspective and getting accurate angles on this tricky pueblo, I had just enough time to do a quick  palette knife sketch of a close up of the church. Choosing vibrant golds and reds for the bell tower set against a gorgeous cobalt sky, really made the colors sing!
Above: Barbara Moore working in pastels at Rancho de Taos, with faithful companion, Shiloh.
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.

Painting the Aspen Trail

SANTA FE ART TREK:  Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams  
Day 2, afternoon location – Aspen Trail
9″ x 12″ textured oil by Niki Gulley

On day 2 of our Santa Fe Art Trek, the temperature started rising in the afternoon, so we headed up into the mountains for cooler breezes to paint the beautiful aspen trees. We were attracted to the brilliant white trunks with their unique peeling bark and dark protruding knots. I liked how the soft dappled light came through the trees and illuminated the path, leading into the distance. Becoming totally lost in the moment, we set out to capture the peacefulness and contentment we felt that afternoon.
Above: Some of our students painting in the aspen grove, listening to the sounds of the babbling brook nearby. A perfect day!
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 Plein Air Painting Workshop

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

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.

Santa Fe ART TREK – one week away!

“Echo Park,” Santa Fe, NM ©2012 Niki Gulley
9″ x 12″ oil on board

 

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

See nikigulley.com/art-classes for more details

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

Above: Students painting at Echo Park last year.

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To see more of Niki Gulley’s contemporary landscape paintings, visit NikiGulley.com.

http://issuu.com/cfai.co/docs/visual_language_vol_1_no__6_ll

One Week Left to Register for our Santa Fe Art Trek

“The Blue Door,” Santa Fe ©2012 Niki Gulley

12″ x 9″ pastel

Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop in Santa Fe, NM – Aug. 12-18

Last year on our Santa Fe workshop, one morning we headed to a quiet street in downtown Santa Fe. It was a beautiful day, and we were all drawn to the unique adobe architecture typical in Santa Fe, the soft morning light, and the vibrant color accents on each home. I chose this periwinkle doorway for my quick demo in pastels, both for the striking contrast against the orange pueblo and also because the russian sage everywhere was so beautiful, and added some balance on the left hand side of the composition. We all thoroughly enjoyed the morning, even if a passing homeowner or two were disappointed that we hadn’t picked their doorways to paint!
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 Aug. 12-18 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 / photography workshop taught by Scott Williams and Niki Gulley
Santa Fe, New Mexico
August 12 -18, 2012
See nikigulley.com/art-classes for more details

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

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http://issuu.com/cfai.co/docs/visual_language_vol_1_no__6_ll

Santa Fe Art Trek – Aug. 12-18 with Niki Gulley

“Rio Chama” ©2012 Niki Gulley
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

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.

***

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

http://issuu.com/cfai.co/docs/visual_language_vol_1_no__6_ll

Paris Art Trek Finalé with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

“Dancing on Water,” Monet’s Gardens, France ©2012 Niki Gulley
36″ x 60″ textured oil painting
Day 7 – Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
On the last day of our Plein-Air Painting and Photography Workshop in Paris, we gathered to share our work from the week, sample some French wine, and enjoy each other’s camaraderie. It’s always so much fun to see what the other painters and photographers have captured during the week, and how everyone has such a different perspective, even if the subject is the same.

The last two nights we dined at our b and b, which turned out to be two of the best meals of the trip, a hard feat to top the food we had in Paris! Appetizers consisted of an asparagus soup and a plate of scallops with browned butter, both so good we had them two nights in a row. The main courses were a cod dish with vegetables and a very good lamb dish with potatoes. I know that that isn’t up to my usual description, but that’s because the dishes on either side caused my mind to block out everything else. The desserts however, were a thing of beauty. Our first night was a pistachio waffle, with strawberries, homemade whipped cream, lime sorbet and orange compote. The second night, we were served chocolate 5 ways: a chocolate mousse with chocolate crumbles, a very dark chocolate Fondente ice cream, a light chocolate pudding, a chocolate cigar and a chocolate fudge brownie that would just bring you to your knees. It was one of those “When Harry Met Sally” moments!

Again, a perfect ending to a wonderful trip – leaving with satiated appetites, fond memories, new found friendships and a shared love for Paris!

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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!

***Or, if you would like to see “Dancing on Water” and more of my contemporary impressionistic landscapes, and you are in the Chicago area this weekend, please stop by my booth at the Gold Coast Art Fair in Grant Park.

Gold Coast ARt Fair

June 30 & July 1 • 10am – 6pm
Chicago, IL • Grant Park at the corner of Monroe & Lake Shore Dr.

See amdurproductions.com/art-festivals/Gold_Coast_Art_Fair_at_Grant_Park.html for more info.

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Plein-Air Painting Workshop with Niki Gulley – Day 6, Monet’s Gardens

Monet’s Gardens, Giverny, France • 9” x 12″ oil painting by Niki Gulley
Day 6 – Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Between loving the picturesque setting and the excitement of painting in Monet’s footsteps, we were inspired to keep creating. With the sun almost overhead but softly filtered by the trees, the colors and reflections on the pond looked completely different than in the early hours, just as Monet’s canvases varied so much depending on the time of day and month he painted. We adjusted our colors accordingly and increased our contrast from the noon sun, and then relished in the moment. What a perfect day!
Monet’s Gardens, Giverny, France

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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!

***Or, if you would like to see this painting or more my plein air paintings and you are in the Chicago area this weekend, please stop by my booth at the Gold Coast Art Fair in Grant Park.Gold Coast ARt Fair

June 30 & July 1 • 10am – 6pm
Chicago, IL • Grant Park at the corner of Monroe & Lake Shore Dr.

See amdurproductions.com/art-festivals/Gold_Coast_Art_Fair_at_Grant_Park.html for more info.

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