“Arms to Heaven” Uplifting Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

December 4, 2025

 
“Arms to Heaven” ©2024 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 30″ x 30″ textured mixed media painting on 1.5″ deep canvas with the painting wrapping around the edges
In this painting I wanted you to feel that child-like wonder of staring up in into the treetops and heavens above. Choosing uplifting autumn tones contrasted against a turquoise blue sky, gentle clouds drift by as the sun peeks through casting its magical light on everything it touches and lifting your spirits. Arranging the trees in a circular pattern gives you a sense of laying on the ground, surrounded by the forest and directs your eye to hope’s focal point. Utilizing thick, energetic paint strokes adds to that joyful, playful feeling of promise and discovery.
 
 
For more information on my textured palette knife paintings, please e-mail me at Niki Gulley.
 

 

Or, please visit my website at  NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape paintings.

 

 https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/

 

“Syncopation” Textured Aspen Painting by Niki Gulley

December 3, 2025

   

 
“Syncopation II” ©2025 Niki Gulley
 12″ x 24″ • textured oil painting on canvas
 
Flickering autumn leaves seem to almost dance in a gentle breeze while white sentinels slice through the colorful backdrop and create a rhythm as they march along. Repeating and receding, the aspen trunks lead you into the distance, inviting you to take a relaxing walk on a beautiful autumn morning.
 


***

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her palette knife aspen and birch tree paintings.
See NikiGulley.com to see more of her contemporary landscape paintings.

 

https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/
 
 

“Fracturing Reality II” Textured Abstract Aspen Painting by Niki Gulley

December 2, 2025

“Fracturing Reality II” ©2024 Niki Gulley

24” x 24” textured acrylic painting on canvas
 
Abstract realism – the synthesis of abstract and realistic painting. Borrowing abstract influences, such as focusing on color, line, shape and rhythm without a concrete, physical object and combining those concepts with depicting something from reality. When you marry these two genres, you get a new style of art that aims to illicit the emotions behind the subject. 
 
In “Fracturing Reality II,” I hope you feel rejuvenated as you gaze into nature’s wonders and escape into your dreams.
 
***
 
E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her contemporary landscape paintings. 
 
To see more of my textured nature paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 

 https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/

Agriturismo Cooking Class in the Italian Countryside with Foodie Treks

November 13, 2025
16″ x 20″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel 
by Niki Gulley
 
Tuscany Foodie Trek – Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 5: Cooking Class in the Countryside
 

Today we had our second cooking class today at a fully operating agriturismo. We started making a hand rolled Pici pasta with homemade tomato sauce. Then we moved onto creating a salt crusted pork loin stuffed with herbs, along with roasted veggies. Finally we finished with wine cookies dusted in cinnamon sugar. We also got a chance to tour the farm and cheese making facility. Finally, we reaped the fruits of our labors with some cheese tasting and dining on the delicious meal we cooked, always having a great time!!! Life is so good.

 
 
For my painting today, you never know what’s going to happen when you set up on location. Today was rather warm so I chose this shady overlook with views of the beautiful vineyard below. It seemed like a nice, quiet spot. Then came 5 pm, which turns out was social hour for the local guys.

Some stared with crossed arms and facial expressions like they just ate lemons, some paced by craning their necks and one friendly man invited us in Italian to see his home up close since it was the vineyard next to where I was painting. It’s never dull!
 

To see a video of my process, check out https://www.instagram.com/p/DOv2N5zDO9n//

***
 

For more details on my other Tuscany paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

 

Or, check out my website at nikigulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

 
https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/
 
 
******
 
If you’d like to join us on one of our fun-filled upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!
 
 
Iceland Art Trek
Aug. 3-10, 2026
https://www.arttreks.org/iceland-2026/
 
Tuscany Foodie Trek 2026 

September 26 – October 3, 2026
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy
October 4-11, 2026
https://www.arttreks.org/cinque-terre-2026/

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.

Painting in Tuscany with Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

November 12, 2025

    

16″ x 20″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel 
by Niki Gulley
 
Tuscany Foodie Trek – Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 5: Gardens and Hill Towns
 
This morning we enjoyed a stroll around a beautiful Tuscan hill town and dined at a delicious Michellin restaurant for lunch. Then we visited an operating Italian Renaissance garden. Formal and organized with clipped boxwoods and plantings in symmetrical stone urns, impressive travertine column staircases, and the largest indoor potted citrus grove in the area, it was interesting to see the contrast between an Italian garden and an American garden, and the challenges of getting irrigation to the remote property. 
 
For this painting, I focused in closer on one of the tuscan farmhouses, with a majestic backdrop of the peaks and valleys. Between the quiet surroundings, the quintessential Tuscan cypress, olive groves and the perfect weather conditions, this proved to be a very inspiring afternoon.

***
 

For more details on my other Tuscany paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

 

Or, check out my website at nikigulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

 
https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/
 
 
******
 
If you’d like to join us on one of our fun-filled upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!
 
 
Iceland Art Trek
Aug. 3-10, 2026
https://www.arttreks.org/iceland-2026/
 
Tuscany Foodie Trek 2026 

September 26 – October 3, 2026
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy
October 4-11, 2026
https://www.arttreks.org/cinque-terre-2026/

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.

Last Day Venice Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

August 18, 2025
“Juliet’s Perch”
12″ x 9″ textured acrylic painting by Niki Gulley
To purchase this painting, visit nikigulley.com/juliets-perch/.
 
 
Venice Art Trek – Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams:  Last Day

 

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 near our hotel.
 

 

 
One of my students this time was in her 80’s. And, normally you think as the teacher you should be inspiring your students, but in this case, I believe she inspired me! Plein air painting isn’t easy between not only capturing the scene on location but also toting all of your gear, and she kept at it. 
 

So, for this last scene, I treated us to a spot right outside the door of our hotel, and let her pick our subject. You’ve got to love the quintessential Venetian balcony with the green shutters and ironwork! I also was attracted to the morning light creating deep shadows on all of the textured bark and stucco, which is so much fun to capture with palette knife. 

 
 
That afternoon, everyone had free time to do whatever they chose and that evening we all gathered again for one last delicious meal together. What an incredible trip!
 

***

To see more of my contemporary textured landscape paintings, please visit nikigulley.com.
 
For more information on my Venice and other travel paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.
 
***
We are excited to announce a new Art Trek for next year, where you will feel like you’ve stepped into a different time and world, like right out of a movie set. We’re elated to be returning to Venice, Italy in February 2026 for the costumed fantasy that occurs during Carnival. We’re already about half full, so let us know if you’d like to come along. 
 
And, while our Switzerland Trek is completely booked this month, we actually have 2 spots open in our Tuscany Foodie Trek this coming September. Always everyone’s favorite trip, please let us know if you would like to join us on that delicious gastronomic journey!
 

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 – October 4, 2025
2 Spots Left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2025/
 
Carnivalé Art Trek – Venice, Italy 2026 
Feb. 8-14, 2026
Early Registration Deadline for $600 savings – Aug. 9th

Tuscany Foodie Trek 2026 
September 26 – October 3, 2026
Only 4 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy
October 4-11, 2026
Only 6 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/cinque-terre-2026/

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.
 
***

https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/

 
 
 
 

Painting on Murano, Italy with Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

August 15, 2025

 

Murano, Italy ©2025 Niki Gulley
9″ x 12″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel
 
Venice Carnivalé Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams – Day 4
 

Finding a place to paint on Murano is somewhat challenging. With shop after shop, it is mostly geared up to promote its famous glass to visitors. So, I find it lacks some of the charm of Venice and Murano. But, I did really like this ornate bridge near the glass factory.  Beautiful afternoon light raked across the scene and highlighted one lone boat parked underneath. Then, I just had to hope that no one decided to row it away, which is always one of the challenges when you are plein-air painting. But, the boat gods worked in my favor today and I was able to capture everything just in time!

 
 
 
***
We are excited to announce a new Art Trek for next year, where you will feel like you’ve stepped into a different time and world, like right out of a movie set. We’re elated to be returning to Venice, Italy in February 2026 for the costumed fantasy that occurs during Carnival. We’re already about half full, so let us know if you’d like to come along. 
 
And, while our Switzerland Trek is completely booked this month, we actually have 2 spots open in our Tuscany Foodie Trek this coming September. Always everyone’s favorite trip, please let us know if you would like to join us on that delicious gastronomic journey!
 

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 – October 4, 2025
2 Spots Left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2025/
 
Carnivalé Art Trek – Venice, Italy 2026 
Feb. 8-14, 2026
Early Registration Deadline for $600 savings – Aug. 9th

Tuscany Foodie Trek 2026 
September 26 – October 3, 2026
Only 4 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy
October 4-11, 2026
Only 6 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/cinque-terre-2026/

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.
 
***

https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/

 
To see more of Niki Gulley’s contemporary textured landscape paintings, please visit nikigulley.com.
 
For more information, please e-mail Niki Gulley.
 

 

 

Painting Venice Canals with Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

August 14, 2025

 


12″ x 9″ textured oil painting by Niki Gulley
 
Venice Art Trek – Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 2, Doge’s Palace and Painting the back canals
 
On the second 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 I took my painters to one of the back canals in Venice. With it being Carnival, there was a steady stream of gondolas rowing past us. At one point, a live violinist drifted by playing the most beautiful tune that echoed off the buildings. What a magical moment! I tried to capture it on video for you, but it gets lost in the ambient noise. I feel like we were able to capture that feeling in our paintings, though!

 
Check out the video here: https://www.facebook.com/niki.gulley/videos/925363725488223.
 

***

To see more of my contemporary textured landscape paintings, please visit nikigulley.com.
 
For more information on my Venice and other travel paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/

***
 
We are excited to announce a new Art Trek for next year, where you will feel like you’ve stepped into a different time and world, like right out of a movie set. We’re elated to be returning to Venice, Italy in February 2026 for the costumed fantasy that occurs during Carnival. We’re already about half full, so let us know if you’d like to come along. 
 
And, while our Switzerland Trek is completely booked this month, we actually have 2 spots open in our Tuscany Foodie Trek this coming September. Always everyone’s favorite trip, please let us know if you would like to join us on that delicious gastronomic journey!
 

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 – October 4, 2025
2 Spots Left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2025/
 
Carnivalé Art Trek – Venice, Italy 2026 
Feb. 8-14, 2026
Early Registration Deadline for $600 savings – Aug. 9th

Tuscany Foodie Trek 2026 
September 26 – October 3, 2026
Only 4 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy
October 4-11, 2026
Only 6 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/cinque-terre-2026/

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.

“Gondola Ride II” Oil Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

August 13, 2025

   

“Gondola Ride II,” Venice ©2024 Niki Gulley
12″ x 9″ oil painting
SOLD!
I painted this piece on location during our Art Trek we taught in Venice while their infamous Carnival celebration was taking place. Since St. Mark’s Square can get overrun with tourists, we chose to set up our easels along a side street to enjoy the peacefulness and beauty of the city. I love the magical light that comes flooding in through the canals and is so distinctive of Venice. The simple brick bridge and the one yellow building in the distance sets a perfect backdrop to the gondolier rowing his enchanted passengers through the romantic back canals.
 

To see more of my travel paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

 

 

Or, E-mail Niki Gulley for more details.

 

https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/
 
 
***
We are excited to announce a new Art Trek for next year, where you will feel like you’ve stepped into a different time and world, like right out of a movie set. We’re elated to be returning to Venice, Italy in February 2026 for the costumed fantasy that occurs during Carnival. We’re already about half full, so let us know if you’d like to come along. 
 
And, while our Switzerland Trek is completely booked this month, we actually have 2 spots open in our Tuscany Foodie Trek this coming September. Always everyone’s favorite trip, please let us know if you would like to join us on that delicious gastronomic journey!
 

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 – October 4, 2025
2 Spots Left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2025/
 
Carnivalé Art Trek – Venice, Italy 2026 
Feb. 8-14, 2026
Early Registration Deadline for $600 savings – Aug. 9th

Tuscany Foodie Trek 2026 
September 26 – October 3, 2026
Only 4 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy
October 4-11, 2026
Only 6 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/cinque-terre-2026/

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.
 
 

“Venetian Reflections” Oil Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

August 12, 2025

   

 
“Venetian Reflections” Venice ©2025 Niki Gulley

8″ x 10″ textured oil painting on panel

Inspired by a trip to Venice right after a heavy rain, St. Mark’s Square was flooded under a foot of water. Amazingly, business went on as usual and residents donned their knee high goulashes and continued to prepare for the day. The water actually created beautiful reflections and I had to capture that shimmering morning light contrasted against these vibrant red café chairs.
 

To see more of my travel paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

 

 

Or, E-mail Niki Gulley for more details.
 
 

 

***
 
***
We are excited to announce a new Art Trek for next year, where you will feel like you’ve stepped into a different time and world, like right out of a movie set. We’re elated to be returning to Venice, Italy in February 2026 for the costumed fantasy that occurs during Carnival. We’re already about half full, so let us know if you’d like to come along. 
 
And, while our Switzerland Trek is completely booked this month, we actually have 2 spots open in our Tuscany Foodie Trek this coming September. Always everyone’s favorite trip, please let us know if you would like to join us on that delicious gastronomic journey!
 

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 – October 4, 2025
2 Spots Left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2025/
 
Carnivalé Art Trek – Venice, Italy 2026 
Feb. 8-14, 2026
Early Registration Deadline for $600 savings – Aug. 9th

Tuscany Foodie Trek 2026 
September 26 – October 3, 2026
Only 4 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy
October 4-11, 2026
Only 6 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/cinque-terre-2026/

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.
 
***

https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/