Niki Gulley at Cottonwood Art Festival this Weekend

“Lemon Tree” Tuscany ©2012 Niki Gulley
12″ x 9″ textured oil painting

Day 4 – Tuscany Art Trek
On Day 4 of our Tuscany painting and photography workshop, we decide to take it easy after a busy day in Siena the day before and paint again at the villa. It was a gorgeous morning with bright puffy clouds and soft golden sunlight hitting the back of our villa. So while we set up our easels just a few feet away from one another, each painter picked a different subject. From the highly textured stone farm house, to this lemon tree that was so lush and tall that I chose for my painting, to a random bed that was on the property, to the terra cotta steps and quintessential Tuscan architectural details, to the ancient well and delicate geraniums, each student’s paintings turned out beautifully. After a peaceful morning of painting and photographing, we all reconvened on the patio of the villa for another delicious lunch of locally grown fruits, meats, cheeses and Vino Nobile.
If you’d like to see “Lemon Tree” and more of my travel plein-air paintings, please stop by my booth at the Cottonwood Art Festival this weekend, Oct. 6th and 7th, from 10am – 6pm. Visit cottonwoodartfestival.com for details.
Enjoying a delicious lunch at our villa, overlooking the surrounding rolling hills and distant Tuscan hill towns.
If you’d like to join us for next year’s Art Trek to Venice in February, Greece in May, Tuscany in September or Cinque Terre / Lake Como in September, please visit NikiGulley.com/Artreks for more information. Workshops fill up quickly, so please let us know if you are interested. The early deadline and to receive a $500 savings for the Venice workshop is this Saturday!

 

If you have questions about the Art Treks workshops or are interested in purchasing any of my plein air paintings, please e-mail me at [email protected].
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US Classes and Workshops – nikigulley.com/art-classes.
Travel Art Treks and Plein Air Workshops – nikigulley.com/artreks/
Available Paintings – NikiGulley.com

Moment of Reflection oil painting

“Moment of Reflection” ©2010 Niki Gulley
24″ x 18″ oil on canvas

This is another one of my favorite spots in Dallas. Once you climb down the creek’s banks, you’re treated to the peaceful trickling sounds of the gently moving water and you’re surrounded by a canopy of trees, completely eliminating all signs of traffic and city life above. This location reminds me so much of the woods I’d hike through with my parents as a kid on a beautiful, crisp autumn day and all of those happy memories come flowing back. In “Moment of Reflection,” I wanted to share that joy and calm I feel being surrounded by nature.

To see this painting and my latest work in person, visit my booth at the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson, TX this weekend, CottonwoodArtFestival.com.

Or, e-mail me at [email protected] for more information.

Cottonwood Art Festival – this weekend

“Reflections in Time” ©2010 Niki Gulley
Oil on canvas • 24” x 36”

This painting is inspired by one of my favorite spots just ten minutes from our home in Dallas. It was a perfect autumn day – about 70° with a slight breeze and the peaking autumn colors were more vibrant than usual. With such a gentle wind, the vivid foliage and gorgeous fluffy clouds were reflected fairly clearly in the water and yet at the same time, I chose to create fluid moving strokes to suggest the peaceful energy in that moment.

To see this painting in person, visit my booth at the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson, TX this weekend, CottonwoodArtFestival.com.

Or, e-mail me at [email protected] for more information.

Climbing Trees at Cottonwood this weekend

“Climbing Trees II” ©2010 Niki Gulley
48″ x 36″ oil on canvas
In this painting, I wanted you to you to experience the wonderment of looking up into the treetops – just like you did when you were a kid. Choosing playful colors and thick chunky staccato strokes adds to that childlike whimsy and I hope you are transported back to a happy, carefree time and place.

Stop by my booth at the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson, Texas this weekend and see “Climbing Trees” along with several other new paintings I’ve created this winter. Visit cottonwoodartfestival.com for details.

E-mail me for more information at [email protected].

Texas Bluebonnets oil painting at Cottonwood

7″ x 5″ oil painting by Niki Gulley

These Texas bluebonnets were created with extremely thick oil paint and palette knives. If you’re interested in seeing this painting or others like it, visit my booth at the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson, Texas this weekend. For more information, see cottonwoodartfestival.com.

Cottonwood Art Festival this weekend

“Last Light,” Texas Hill Country ©2010 Niki Gulley
12″ x 24″ pastel
We drove down to the Texas Hill Country to see the bluebonnets, and the Willow City Loop did not disappoint! Thick masses of azure blue as far as the eye could see. I was particularly drawn to this scene late in the day when the sun was starting to set and creating interesting long lavender shadows across the gently rolling landscape.
I’ll have this pastel at my booth at the Cottonwood Art Festival, cottonwoodartfestival.com this weekend f you’d like to see it in person. Or, e-mail me at [email protected] for more information.