Upcoming Art Trek to Paris, France with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

“Dancing on Water,” Monet’s Gardens, Giverny, France  ©2013 Niki Gulley
36″ x 60″ textured oil painting 
Sunlight sparkles across aqua blue water, diamonds of purple glitter the pond’s surface; water lilies lift their faces toward the sun and gently dance across the water.
Golden sunlight filters through the brambles and ferns, a touch of cardinal red peeks through purple and pink foliage while azure skies reflect in the water.

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If you would like join us on our next Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop to Paris June 19-27, 2014 where we will be visiting Monet’s Gardens, please visit nikigulley.com/artreks for more information. Register by Sept. 28th for a $600 savings!
Other upcoming Art Treks include:
Paris, France – June 19-27, 2014
 Provence, France – June 26 – July 4, 2014
Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 5-13, 2014
Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy – Sept. 12-21, 2014

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Or, if you would like more information on “Dancing on Water” please contact my Dallas gallery, American Fine Art, americanfineart.com.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.
Or, visit NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape paintings.

New Lavender Oil Painting from Provence

“Bountiful Aromas” ©2013 Niki Gulley
24” x 24” textured oil painting on gallery wrap canvas

This lavender scene was inspired by our trip to Provence last year, and our fond memories of driving through the peaceful countryside, exploring quaint villages, and savoring the delicious provencal flavors.  When we came across this lavender field, the violet rows were so vibrant and fragrant, that I just had to paint the gorgeous setting. I was intrigued by how the majestic flowers were planted in such a way so as to lead your eye right to this one lone tree emerging from the purple expanse, and I had fun playing with the complimentary colors of the soil, crops and background to create energy and contrast.

Next summer we will be leading an Art Trek to Provence, so if you’ve always dreamed of painting, photographing and sightseeing during lavender and sunflower season in France, please join us for this amazing trip! Details will be coming soon on nikigulley.com/artreks.

For more information on “Bountiful Aromas,” please contact my gallery at goodartcompany.com/gac/. 

E-mail – Niki Gulley.

Plein-Air Painting Workshop with Niki Gulley – Day 6, Monet’s Gardens

Monet’s Gardens, Giverny, France • 9” x 12″ oil painting by Niki Gulley
Day 6 – Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Between loving the picturesque setting and the excitement of painting in Monet’s footsteps, we were inspired to keep creating. With the sun almost overhead but softly filtered by the trees, the colors and reflections on the pond looked completely different than in the early hours, just as Monet’s canvases varied so much depending on the time of day and month he painted. We adjusted our colors accordingly and increased our contrast from the noon sun, and then relished in the moment. What a perfect day!
Monet’s Gardens, Giverny, France

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If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to
Santa Fe, NM Aug. 12 – 18 (see nikigulley.com/art-classes) or
 Tuscany, Italy Aug. 31 – Sept. 8 (visit nikigulley.com/artreks),
please e-mail Niki Gulley for more information. Registration deadlines are quickly approaching. We’d love to have you join us!

***Or, if you would like to see this painting or more my plein air paintings and you are in the Chicago area this weekend, please stop by my booth at the Gold Coast Art Fair in Grant Park.Gold Coast ARt Fair

June 30 & July 1 • 10am – 6pm
Chicago, IL • Grant Park at the corner of Monroe & Lake Shore Dr.

See amdurproductions.com/art-festivals/Gold_Coast_Art_Fair_at_Grant_Park.html for more info.

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Art Trek Paris w/ Niki Gulley & Scott Williams – Day 2, Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Rose Window • 10″ x 8″ oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 2, Afternoon – Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
After grabbing a delicious homemade crepé lunch, we staked out this quiet, picturesque view of Notre Dame along the Siene. Some painters chose to include the whole scene with river, church and boats, while myself and a couple of others selected this tighter view on just the intricate stained glass of the rose window. After painting the whites and grays of the cathedral in the morning light, I decided to have a little fun with the colors in the afternoon, after all we were in the home of French Impressionism.
Working with complimentary purples and oranges created vibrant highlights, cool shadows and contrasting colors that cause your eye to dance across the canvas.
One of our painters in front of Notre Dame.
Photo of two of us painting at Notre Dame taken by one of our budding photographers along on the trip. Pretty creative!

 

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If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to
Santa Fe, NM Aug. 12 – 18 (see nikigulley.com/art-classes) or
 Tuscany, Italy Aug. 31 – Sept. 8 (visit nikigulley.com/artreks),
please e-mail Niki Gulley for more information. Registration deadlines are quickly approaching. We’d love to have you join us!
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To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, please go to my website at NikiGulley.com.

Day 2 – Paris Art Trek with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

Notre Dame • 10″ x 8″ oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 2 – Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams
On day 2 of our plein-air painting and photography workshop in Paris, we led our group to Notre Dame Cathedral, known for its flying buttress and gargoyles overlooking the city. Since our group had never been before, they visited inside the church and hiked up to the clock tower for amazing views of the city, while I kept everyone’s gear down below. I found a nice, quiet bench and had enough time to paint this view of the backside of the cathedral until everyone finished touring. The church is so complex, I focused in on this view of the nave with it’s stained glass windows and the tops of a couple of the flying buttress to simplify the scene for an 8×10 canvas.
If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to
Santa Fe, NM Aug. 12 – 18 (see nikigulley.com/art-classes) or
 Tuscany, Italy Aug. 31 – Sept. 8 (visit nikigulley.com/artreks),
please e-mail Niki Gulley for more information. Registration deadlines are quickly approaching. We’d love to have you join us!
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To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, please go to my website at NikiGulley.com.