Plein air painting workshops

Monet’s Garden painting by Niki Gulley & upcoming Art Trek to Paris

March 28, 2012

Three 48″ x 30″ canvases to form a 48″ x 90″ triptych

textured oil painting on wrap around canvas

Just sold! I decided it would be a fun challenge to create an extremely large painting, and I wanted the final piece to be very uplifting, colorful and full of energy. Opting for warm colors and working with extremely thick oil paint and palette knives, I chose this lily pond reference from our visit to Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, France. The grounds were breathtaking and I could actually see his paintings come to life. I was drawn to the energetic flow and yet calming serenity in this view, and I positioned the water lilies and my paint strokes in a circular pattern to add to that mood. The morning light peeking through the distant foliage added to a sense of mystery and promise that I wanted to capture in paint, and share with you that feeling of hope.

If you would like to join us in May for our next ArtTrek to Paris, France, and paint Monet’s Gardens in person, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420, which goes into detail about our upcoming Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshops. Registration deadline for Paris is quickly approaching, so don’t wait!

If you’re in the Dallas area this weekend, stop by Arts in the Square to see more of Niki Gulley’s paintings.

Arts in the Square

Sat. March 31 • 11am – 6pm

Sun. April 1 • 11am – 6pm

Frisco, TX • Frisco Square

Dallas Tollway and Main St.

FriscoSquare.com/AITS

Or, to see more of Niki Gulley’s contemporary textured landscape paintings, visit NikiGulley.com.

Plein Air Painting in Italy with Niki Gulley

March 9, 2012

SOLD • 30″ x 15″ pastel

I was commissioned to paint this vineyard and rolling hills backdrop based on my collectors’ fond memories of Tuscany. So, using some of my plein air sketches, photographs, and personal memories from our trips to the area, I created this pastel. Full of color and movement, I arranged the planted grapevines to lead your eye back to the Tuscan villa and then to the beautiful countryside beyond.

If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to Tuscany, Italy in September or Cinque Terre / Lake Como, Italy in September visit nikigulley.com/artreks for more information. We’d love to have you join us!

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E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

To see more of my paintings from Tuscany, visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

“Blue Tomorrow” textured bluebonnet painting by Niki Gulley

February 28, 2012

36″ x 48″ textured oil on canvas

Just Finished! Inspired by a trip to the hill country, I wanted you feel the warmth and beauty on this perfect spring day while out for a leisurely drive among the bluebonnets and Texas wildflowers. Painted with thick oil paint and palette knives to achieve extreme texture, the resulting image comes to life and is loaded with color and energy.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her textured oil paintings.

Or, visit NikiGulley.com to see more of her contemporary bluebonnet and Texas landscape paintings.

“Riomaggiore” pastel

January 11, 2012

SOLD • pastel 5″ x 7″

From our trip to the Cinque Terre along Italy’s west coast, Riomaggiore is one of my favorite harbors. I love the colorful buildings and the amazing way they are stair-stepped and stacked one on top of each other along this hilly coastline. The view from up top is amazing, too!

If you’d like to join us in Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy this Sept. 8th – 16th for our next Plein-Air Painting / Photography Workshop, e-mail Niki Gulley for more information or visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420. Sign up by Jan. 13th and save $500!

To see more of my travel landscapes and Italy paintings visit NikiGulley.com.

Lake Como, Italy oil painting

January 6, 2012

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.

To see more of my paintings from Italy visit NikiGulley.com.

Painting Monet’s Garden

November 18, 2011

12” x 24” textured oil on wrap around canvas

Early morning light washes over Monet’s water lily garden in his beloved home at Giverny, France. Quiet, tranquil colors rim the pond, reflected in the glassy surface, waters casting back sky and foliage in a radiance of hues. Iris leaves front the pond, lilies break its surface, willows brush the water’s edge – everything just as Monet would have seen, now in a fresh, contemporary new work of art.

I’ll have several of my paintings from Paris along with my landscapes closer to home this weekend at the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas. This is my last art show for 2011, so hope you can stop by. For more details on the show, click here dallasculture.org/bathhouseculturecenter/calendarDetail.asp?id=7770.

Or, if you would like to join us in May for our next ArtTrek to Paris, France, and paint Monet’s Gardens in person, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420, which goes into detail about our upcoming Plein Air Painting & Photography Workshops. Registration deadline for Paris is today!

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E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.comfor more information. Visit my website at NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape paintings.

Art Treks – Paris – deadline this Friday

November 16, 2011

Three 48″ x 30″ canvases to form a 48″ x 90″ triptych

textured mixed media on wrap around canvas

I decided it would be a fun challenge to create an extremely large painting, and I wanted the final piece to be very uplifting, colorful and full of energy. Opting for warm colors and working with extremely thick oil paint and palette knives, I chose this lily pond reference from our visit to Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, France. The grounds were breathtaking and I could actually see his paintings come to life. I was drawn to the energetic flow and yet calming serenity in this view, and I positioned the water lilies and my paint strokes in a circular pattern to add to that mood. The morning light peeking through the distant foliage added to a sense of mystery and promise that I wanted to capture in paint, and share with you that feeling of hope.

***

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.comfor more information. Visit my website at NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape paintings.

Painting at the Dallas Arboretum

November 9, 2011

Bamboo Forest – 8″ x 10″ oil painting by Niki Gulley

Afternoon Location: the Dallas Arboretum, Bamboo Garden

In the afternoon of my Plein Air Painting Workshop that I taught at the Dallas Arboretum last weekend, we found another quiet painting spot at the furthest end of the gardens. Again, it was really interesting to see how half a dozen painters all view the scene differently. Some students chose to paint roses, some potted plants and tucked away benches, and others the dappled light coming through the trees highlighting some of the mums and pathways.

My EasyL pochade box and palette set-up.

I’ve always loved the bamboo garden, so that’s what I chose for my subject. I like the feeling of being protected by the tall stalks and the canopy they form overhead. There is a peacefulness back there, so that you feel like you are immersed in the middle of a forest. I also liked the way the light was filtering through in just a couple of places to illuminate the walkway and the distant clearing.

One of my students, Ann McCann, painting the Arboretum’s beautiful rose bushes.

If you’d like more information about my upcoming workshops in the US and Europe, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=13.

Or, to see more of my local Dallas and travel paintings, please stop by the Bath House Cultural Center for my last show of the year, Nov. 18th – 20th. dallasculture.org/bathhouseculturecenter/index.asp

E-mail Niki@NikiGulley.com.

Plein Air Painting Workshop at the Dallas Arboretum

November 7, 2011

Purple Clematis, 8″ x 10″ oil painting by Niki Gulley

Morning Location: the Dallas Arboretum, Poetry Garden

On the first morning of the Plein Air Painting Workshop I taught at the Dallas Arboretum last weekend, we found one of the most quiet locations we could on such a busy, beautiful morning at the Arboretum. While a little chilly at the start of the day, it quickly warmed up to a beautiful 68 degrees. The gardens were in full fall bloom, and it was difficult to narrow down just a single subject to paint, but each painter picked out something that spoke to them – from a single flower, to a sun-lit path framed by trees, to the architecture in the private garden or a quiet bench framed by flowering pots.

So that my students wouldn’t miss out on the morning light, I started a quick demo that I had sketched out the previous day of these clematis. To save time, I had also laid out my palette colors, working with water-soluble oil paints, the night before and stored them in the freezer to keep them from drying out. Pre-mixing some of the purple values in the flowers, the greens of the leaves, and the stucco colors in the background so that I could just paint, and not have to stop and mix colors in the process, I quickly laid in a thin coat of the stucco wall and shadow colors so they could be drying.

Then, I established the darks in the flowers with brush and came on top with lighter colors and palette knife to give the flowers dimension. Normally I would work around the whole canvas, but with plein air painting, your time is so short between when your light changes, that at this stage, I went ahead and finish out the details in my focal point, the two main flowers. Lastly, if there is time left, I finish up the painting, in this case adding leaves, vines, and thick painter to the stucco wall to suggest the sun reflecting off its surface. At this point, it’s best to stop and not overwork the spontaneity of the sketch – you can always go back and tweak things back in the studio later.

Check out some of my students’ morning paintings. Even though we were set up within 20 feet of each other, I love how each painter sees things differently.

If you’d like more information about my upcoming workshops in the US and Europe, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=13.

Or, to see more of my local Dallas and travel paintings, please stop by the Bath House Cultural Center, for my last show of the year, Nov. 18th – 20th. dallasculture.org/bathhouseculturecenter/index.asp

E-mail Niki@NikiGulley.com.

NikiGulley.com

White Rock Lake oil painting by Niki Gulley

October 28, 2011

9″ x 12″ oil painting by Niki Gulley at White Rock Lake

I painted this small oil painting at White Rock Lake earlier this week, getting ready for my Plein Air Workshop this weekend. It was a perfect morning – blue skies and a gentle breeze, with an ideal temperature. I was attracted to the multi-colored sailboats and the interesting pattern they formed. With so many boats, I sketched out my composition and then I had to paint very quickly before the light changed – a fun challenge and an enjoyable, peaceful morning.

For more information on this weekend’s painting workshop, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=13.

E-mail Niki@NikiGulley.com.

To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings and local Dallas scenes, visit my website at nikigulley.com/?page_id=33.