art and travel

Last Day Venice Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

March 21, 2023

“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!

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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.

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If you’d like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.

Painting on Murano, Italy with Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

March 20, 2023

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!

If you’d like to join us on one of our upcoming Art Treks, please let us know. For more details, E-mail [email protected] or go to ArtTreks.org.

Upcoming Art and Foodie Treks

Provence, France – June / July 2023 – wait list only

Spain Foodie Trek – March 2024

Portugal Art Trek – Mar. 2024

Iceland Art Trek – Aug. 2024

Tuscany, Italy Foodie Trek – Oct. 2023

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

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To see more of Niki Gulley’s contemporary textured landscape paintings, please visit nikigulley.com.

For more information, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

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

March 17, 2023

SOLD • 9″ x 12″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

Venice Carnivalé Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams – Day 4

Just Sold! On the fourth day of our Venice Art Trek, we headed to the islands of Burano and Murano. Burano is known as a fishing community (and for the homemade lace that they make there), and to help the fisherman find their houses while coming back from sea, they painted their homes every color of the rainbow. With the picturesque canals and so many great colored buildings to choose from, it’s hard to pick a single subject matter!

If only we painted with that much color here, we might feel a little more joy each day! I also loved the morning light as the laundry was hanging out to dry. Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate the convenience of my dryer, but there is something nostalgic about clotheslines. Helping grandma hang laundry on the line brings back such fond memories!

To see more of my travel paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
Or, E-mail Niki Gulley for more details.
 
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If you’re interested in joining us on one of our upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!
 
 For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
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Painting Venice Canals with Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

March 14, 2023

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 we chose a canal to paint near our hotel 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. With it being Carnival, luckily there was a steady stream of them 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!

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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.

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If you’d like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.

Plein Air Painting in Venice with Niki Gulley

March 10, 2023

SOLD • 12″ x 9″ textured oil on canvas panel by Niki Gulley

Venice Carnivalé Art Trek – Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Day 1: Venice

We just got back from teaching our latest Painting and Photography Art Trek in Venice during Carnivalé and had the most amazing time! The weather was ideal our first day there, and we found our way to this picturesque spot. Normally this is one of my favorite places to paint in Venice. It’s quiet with almost no onlookers for my students, and yet gondolas frequently row by to entertain us. However, today during Carnival, it was like experiencing rush hour on water! There was a constant barrage of boats making deliveries at our dock, construction barges across the way and about 100 gondolas forming a serious traffic jam. The good news is we had a steady stream of gondolas to paint into our scene and they certainly weren’t moving very fast or at all.

Since the whole city is on water, I love how their “garage doors” are actually for their boats. And, in this painting, I wanted to focus on this beautiful entrance and the textures of the buildings as morning light cast its glow. Even with the slow parade, it wasn’t enough time to fully capture the gondolier so I added those finishing touches and some sparkle to the scene back in my studio. I hope you can hear the baritones breaking into “Amoré” as they drift by us.

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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.

***

If you’d like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.

Painting in Venice with Painting Teacher Niki Gulley

March 9, 2023

5″ x 7″ • textured oil painting on panel

On the second day of our Venice Art Trek, we headed to the islands of Burano and Murano. Burano is known as a fishing community (and for the homemade lace that they make there), and to help the fisherman find their houses while coming back from sea, they painted their homes every color of the rainbow. With the picturesque canals and so many great colored buildings to choose from, it’s hard to pick a single subject matter! We were drawn to this quiet location, however, and the vibrant yellow stucco wall with that morning’s laundry being hung out to dry and the bicycle waiting for a ride. Today I chose to work with thick oil paint and palette knife to capture the rough surface of the walls, resulting in a final painting which is loaded with texture and color.

If you’d like to join us on one of our upcoming Art Treks, please let me know.

For more details, E-mail Niki Gulley or go to ArtTreks.org.

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www.NikiGulley.com

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

March 3, 2023

Dining al Fresco, Venice – 12″X18″ Pastel by Niki Gulley

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 Europe, join me and travel photographer, Scott Williams, for our Plein Air Painting and Photography Art Treks. We’d love to have you along! E-mail Niki Gulley for more information or go to arttreks.org for more details.

For more information on “Dining al Fresco,” please e-mail Niki Gulley [email protected].

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

“Bon Appetito” Venice pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

March 1, 2023

“Bon Appetito” by Niki Gulley
Pastel on board • 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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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 with 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.

“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.

“Pedestal to the Sky” from Athens Greece by Niki Gulley

February 17, 2020

Day 1, Greece Art Trek: The Acropolis, Athens
9″ x 12″ oil painting by Niki Gulley

On the first full day of our plein air painting and photography workshop in Greece, we visited the Acropolis in Athens along with several other ancient sites. It was truly awe inspiring to see a part of history from the fifth century BC and to imagine what life must have been like as democracy was beginning. In the afternoon, the painters set up their easels on top of the beautiful balcony at our hotel to paint this beautiful view of the Parthenon while the photographers continued touring the city. In this oil painting, I wanted to capture a sense of scale with the Acropolis, and suggest how it rises above the city on this massive mound, towering majestically over the city, kissed by the clouds above.

Breakfast from the terrace of our hotel. What a view of the Acropolis!

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If you’re interested in joining us on one of our upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks to Iceland or Tuscany, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

Iceland – Aug. 2020

Foodie Trek – Tuscany – Oct. 2020

Paris – June 2021

Portugal – Aug./Sept. 2021

For more information on upcoming Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.

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E-mail Niki Gulley with any questions about my palette knife travel paintings.

To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.