The Magic of Tuscany Painted by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

   

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
 
Today at our villa, we learned how to make authentic Tuscan meals from a local home chef. From hand rolled pasta, to roasted pork, to various pizzas and appetizers and finishing with a chocolate cherry ricotta torte, they shared their homemade creations with the rest of us, which were delicious!
 
While the rest of our group was learning how to recreate an Italian feast, I had been admiring this view from the back of our villa. The surrounding scenery is breathtaking with 360 degree views of rolling hills and valleys, dotted by olive groves and quintessential Tuscan farmhouses. Today the late afternoon light was so beautiful how it cast its golden glow on the landscape, and I had to capture it before it was gone. The serpentine roads lead you up over the hills and into the distance. I hope you enjoy the escape to beautiful Tuscany, too, when you gaze at my painting!
 

 

 

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

 

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

 

New Vineyard Painting by Palette Knife Artis Niki Gulley

  

 

16″ x 20″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

 

by Niki Gulley
 

We visited Tuscany this fall and were surrounded by grapevines everywhere we went, with the gorgeous, plump purple grapes ready to harvest at any moment. I loved these vibrant vines in the foreground framing the rolling hills in the distance. Setting up my easel across from this vineyard, I created this textured painting with palette knife and a lot of paint. I arranged the planted vines to lead your eye across the canvas, stopping at the Tuscan villa on your way. Morning light cast deep purple shadows on the ground and caused the leaves and soil to glow. As a treat when I finished, we enjoyed a picnic of salami, proscuitto, pecorino and of course, vino. Yum!

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

 

 

 

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

Greece Art Trek
May 17-24, 2025
Only 1 Spot Left!
Visit https://www.arttreks.org/greece-2025/ for details.

Switzerland Art Trek 
July 26 – August 2, 2025
Full
More info. at https://www.arttreks.org/switzerland-2025/.

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
New Date – September 20-27, 2025
Just a couple of spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2025/

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at [email protected] 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 Portugal’s Gorgeous Coastline with Impressionist Niki Gulley

 

 

©2024 Niki Gulley
9″ x 12″ textured acrylic painting on panel
 
Portugal Art Trek: 
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
Day 7 – Cascais
 
Last painting from Portugal, and a fantastic way to end the trip! Listening to the ocean waves while painting along the shoreline is just what the doctor ordered. I hope you can escape with us in this piece!

 

 

To see a video of us painting, visit https://www.instagram.com/p/C4x5W9pouTn/.
 
 
 
To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 
 
***
 
 
Iceland Art Trek
August 6-13, 2024
Only 2 spots left!

Greece Art Trek
May 17-24, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Switzerland Art Trek 
July 26 – August 2, 2025
Only 2 spots left!
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 – October 4, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th
If you’d like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. 
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
***

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

 

Painting in Cascais with Palette Knife Artist Niki Gulley

 

©2024 Niki Gulley
8″ x 6″ textured acrylic painting on panel
 
Portugal Art Trek: 
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
Day 7 – Cascais
 
At the end of our trip, we stayed right at our home base town, Cascais. The Atlantic Ocean hugs its coastline, and there is a great walking trail all along the city. After finishing taking in the beautiful scenery along the water, we wandered the maze of tiled streets throughout town, soaking in the architecture and energy.
 
Here is just one of the beautiful views from everyone’s balcony on our Portugal Art Trek. I’ve always loved lighthouses so I had to capture this blue and white one as late day light caused it to pop against the blue ocean.
 
We finished the night with a delicious dinner of Portuguese tapas. A great way to end the trip!
 
View from our hotel
 
 
 
To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 
 
***
 
 
Iceland Art Trek
August 6-13, 2024
Only 2 spots left!

Greece Art Trek
May 17-24, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Switzerland Art Trek 
July 26 – August 2, 2025
Only 2 spots left!
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 – October 4, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th
If you’d like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. 
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
***

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

 

Exploring Belém by Land and Water with Art Treks

 

Belém ©2024 Niki Gulley
6″ x 8″ textured acrylic painting on panel
 
Portugal Art Trek: 
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
Day 6 – Belém

 

Today we rode the train to visit the important town of Belém, with visits to Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery. The church, a stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site shows the distinctive Manueline architecture and Vasco de Gama’s tomb.
 
Meanwhile I decided to paint having toured the sites a few times in the past. Talk about some crazy atmospheric light! One minute the sun would be out and the next dramatic skies looked like they would pour down on us. Fortunately we never got rain all day and it made for interesting painting conditions. I had fun painting this cypress lined park with the monastery peeking through in the distance. 
 
 
That evening we treated ourselves to a relaxing boat cruise along the Tagus river. Mother nature held out and we were able to enjoy a sunset cruise as we sipped on some local Portuguese wines!

 

 
To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 
 
***
 
 
Iceland Art Trek
August 6-13, 2024
Only 2 spots left!

Greece Art Trek
May 17-24, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Switzerland Art Trek 
July 26 – August 2, 2025
Only 2 spots left!
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 – October 4, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th
If you’d like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. 
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
***

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

Painting Lisbon with Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

      

 
25 de Abril Bridge ©2024 Niki Gulley
6″ x 8″ textured acrylic painting on panel
 
Portugal Art Trek: 
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
Day 5 – Lisbon

 

Rounding out our adventure, we visited the bustling city of Lisbon. Most of our group visited the Carmo Convent, know as the church without a ceiling, and toured the city’s sights. Today there were such dramatic clouds and I had to capture the iconic red bridge in the style of San Francisco’s Golden Gate.

 

 
To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 
 
***
 
 
Iceland Art Trek
August 6-13, 2024
Only 2 spots left!

Greece Art Trek
May 17-24, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Switzerland Art Trek 
July 26 – August 2, 2025
Only 2 spots left!
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 – October 4, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th
If you’d like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. 
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
***

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

Painting in Portugal with Palette Knife Artist Niki Gulley

      

Obidos ©2024 Niki Gulley
9″ x 12″ textured acrylic painting on panel
 
Portugal Art Trek: 
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
Day 4 – Obidos

 

For a change of pace, the next day we took a side trip to the quaint and colorful town of Obidos. This charming Portuguese walled town with narrow cobbled streets, traditional painted houses and medieval castle, is a perfect destination to immerse yourself in Portugal’s history. The white washed houses and gnarly plein trees screamed that they needed an artist to try and capture their beauty and uniqueness. 
 

 

To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 
 
***
 
 
Iceland Art Trek
August 6-13, 2024
Only 2 spots left!

Greece Art Trek
May 17-24, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Switzerland Art Trek 
July 26 – August 2, 2025
Only 2 spots left!
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 – October 4, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th
If you’d like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. 
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
***

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

 
 

Exploring Sintra with Art Treks

Sintra ©2024 Niki Gulley
6″ x 8″ textured acrylic painting on panel
 
Portugal Art Trek: 
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
Day 3 – Afternoon Location: Sintra and the National Palace

Next up on the itinerary our group visited the last main Sintra attractions, the National Palace and the sweet town of Sintra itself. So many beautiful palaces, so little time! Here you can see some of the colorful exteriors hugging the cliffside as the village bustles with activity below. 

After a full day, we then headed back to Cascais for a little downtime at our hotel and another delicious Portuguese dinner. 

***
 
 
Iceland Art Trek
August 6-13, 2024
Only 2 spots left!

Greece Art Trek
May 17-24, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Switzerland Art Trek 
July 26 – August 2, 2025
Only 2 spots left!
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 – October 4, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th
If you’d like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. 
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
***

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

Visiting Peña Palace with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams Art Treks

    

 Peña Palace ©2024 Niki Gulley
8″ x 6″ textured acrylic painting on panel
 
Portugal Art Trek: 
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
Day 3 – Sintra: Peña Palace

 

Since Sintra is filled with so many beautiful palaces and castles, one day is not enough time to absorb it all, so we returned the next day to continue exploring everything it has to offer. First stop was its star attraction, Peña Palace, which dazzles with bright colors and fairytale design. While our photographers and tourists explored the interior and its surroundings, us painters set out to paint its dramatic, red and yellow facade.
 

 

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

 

***
 
 
Iceland Art Trek
August 6-13, 2024
Only 2 spots left!

Greece Art Trek
May 17-24, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Switzerland Art Trek 
July 26 – August 2, 2025
Only 2 spots left!
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 – October 4, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th
If you’d like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. 
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
***

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

 

Art Treks Paints and Photographs Sintra, Portugal

    

 Monseratte ©2024 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 6″ x 8″ textured acrylic painting on panel
 
Portugal Art Trek: 
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
Day 2 – Afternoon Location – Sintra: Monseratte

 

That afternoon we headed to another amazing palace, Monserrate.  It is a visually striking blend of Arabic, gothic and Indian influences, and once again is surrounded by beautiful, lush, exotic vegetation. While most everyone explored the palace’s interior, I set up outside to capture its distinct architecture.
 
 
After finishing our tour in Sintra, we headed back to Cascais for a little downtime and an amazing dinner. The perfect ending to an adventure filled day!
 
To see more of my impressionistic plein air landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 

 

 
***
 
 
Iceland Art Trek
August 6-13, 2024
Only 2 spots left!

Greece Art Trek
May 17-24, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Switzerland Art Trek 
July 26 – August 2, 2025
Only 2 spots left!
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 – October 4, 2025
Early Deadline for a $600 savings: May 11th
If you’d like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. 
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
***

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