plein-air painting workshops Italy

“Perched on High” Palette Knife Painting from Tuscany by Niki Gulley

March 30, 2022

SOLD • 16″ x 20″ textured oil painting on canvas panel

Just Sold! Painted during our Tuscany Foodie Trek that we lead, I had been admiring this view from the back of our villa that we stay at over the course of the week. The surrounding scenery is breathtaking with 360 degree views of rolling hills and valleys, dotted by olive groves and quintessential Tuscan farmhouses. In particular, I was attracted to this stone house with its window awning casting a diagonal shadow across its facade, nestled in between cypress, and the rolling countryside as a backdrop behind it. Painted late in the day, the sun was beginning to set creating gorgeous colors in the sky and casting a golden glow on everything it kissed in the foreground. May you be transported to the magic of Tuscany!

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.

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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.

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New “Olive Grove” from Tuscany by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

March 28, 2022

10″ x 20″ textured oil painting

During our Tuscany Foodie Trek, we headed to the wine town of Montalcino to sample some of Italy’s world famous Brunello. On our way, we stopped at this beautiful convent with massive ancient olive trees growing on the grounds. In the distance, you can see the nearby hill town with vineyards and more olive groves lining the hillside. I wanted to capture the beauty of those regal olive trees on a beautiful sun-filled day in Tuscany.

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E-mail Niki Gulley with any questions.

Or, to purchase “Olive Grove,” click here: nikigulley.com/olive-grove/.

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

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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!

http://www.ArtTreks.org.

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New “Sunrise in St. Mark’s Square” Oil Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

March 25, 2022

12″ x 16″ textured oil painting

I painted this piece on location in Venice 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 get up with sunrise to enjoy the beauty of the city and the peacefulness of those early morning hours. I love the magical light that comes flooding in from the lagoon and is so distinctive of Venice. Fortunately, I got set up in time to capture the glow from the gas lamps, too, before they went out as daylight approached, adding to the mysterious quality of the plaza. Against a backdrop of the Doge’s Palace, a few people stroll across the square and signal the energy of the day that is to come.

To purchase this painting, check out nikigulley.com/sunrise-in-st-marks-square/.

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 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.

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“Serpentine Drive” in Tuscany by Palette Knife Artist Niki Gulley

March 23, 2022

12″ x 16″ textured oil painting

Before we taught our Tuscany Foodie Trek, my husband and I spent a few days exploring the Tuscan countryside, painting and photographing the iconic scenery. “Serpentine Drive” illustrates one of the fascinating places we stopped with its mile long cypress lined drive. It felt like the trees snaked back and forth to infinity! Setting up my easel in late afternoon, I was able to capture the dramatic light as the setting sun illuminated the tops of the rolling hills and created long, dramatic shadows. Between the repetition of the vertical arbors and the horizontally flowing hills, the scene created a rhythmic harmony that added to the joy and serenity of the moment.

Close up texture detail:

To purchase “Serpentine Drive,” go to nikigulley.com/serpentine-drive/.

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.

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We will be returning to Tuscany this October for a delicious Foodie Trek. For more information, visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.

If you’re interested in joining us, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

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“Amarillo” Tuscan Garden Painting by Niki Gulley

March 17, 2022

SOLD • 12″ x 16″ textured oil painting on canvas panel

Just Sold! Inspired from a gorgeous garden in Tuscany, I was drawn to this colorful courtyard. Soft buttery hues of yellow glow and shimmer in the late day light as long purple shadows dance along the stucco wall. Breaking up the sunny expanse, a portal to the formal gardens invites you to venture into an arboreal fantasy world designed to inspire awe and delight your senses.

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.

***

We will be returning to Tuscany this October for a delicious Foodie Trek. For more information, visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.

If you’re interested in joining us, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

***

New “Villa View” Painting from Tuscany by Impressionist Niki Gulley

May 31, 2021

9″ x 12″ textured oil painting

While leading our Tuscany Foodie Trek, I set up my easel to capture this gorgeous view of the distant hills and farmhouse that we see from our breakfast table each morning. With a few clouds drifting by, the sun kept illuminating the foreground Rapeseed and making the hills glow gold and chartreuse. I liked the single farmhouse set against the distant mountains and the one lone cypress growing in the middle of all that yellow. What a perfect morning!

That evening for a delicious meal of melted pecorino and homemade rustic bread, pici (hand rolled pasta) with wild boar sauce or truffle ravioli for others, fresh organic vegetables and of course the local red wine to top it off!

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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. 2021

Portugal – Sept. 2021

Foodie Trek – Tuscany – Oct. 2022

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.

New “Amarillo” Tuscan Garden Painting by Niki Gulley

May 10, 2021

12″ x 16″ textured oil painting on canvas panel

Inspired from a gorgeous garden in Tuscany, I was drawn to this colorful courtyard. Soft buttery hues of yellow glow and shimmer in the late day light as long purple shadows dance along the stucco wall. Breaking up the sunny expanse, a portal to the formal gardens invites you to venture into an arboreal fantasy world designed to inspire awe and delight your senses.

***

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. 2021

Portugal – Sept. 2021

Foodie Trek – Tuscany – Oct. 2022

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

****

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.

New Tuscany Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

May 7, 2021

12″ x 9″ textured oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 3, afternoon location – ART TREKS: TUSCANY
with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

After we finished a delicious antipasto lunch of prosciuttos, local pecorino, and fresh fruits and vegetables, we headed into the hills for our afternoon painting location. Starting fairly late in the day, we timed it so that the light would be soft and golden as we were putting the finishing details on our paintings. For this painting, we focused in closer on one of the tuscan farmhouses, with just a suggestion of the peaks and valleys in the background. Between the quiet surroundings, the quintessential Tuscan vineyard behind us and the perfect weather conditions, this proved to be a very inspiring afternoon.

Painting the rolling hills in Tuscany. Photo courtesy of Ken Strange.

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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. 2021

Portugal – Sept. 2021

Foodie Trek – Tuscany – Oct. 2022

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

****

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.

New “Perched on High” Palette Knife Painting from Tuscany by Niki Gulley

May 6, 2021

16″ x 20″ textured oil painting on canvas panel

Painted during our Tuscany Foodie Trek that we lead, I had been admiring this view from the back of our villa that we stay at over the course of the week. The surrounding scenery is breathtaking with 360 degree views of rolling hills and valleys, dotted by olive groves and quintessential Tuscan farmhouses. In particular, I was attracted to this stone house with its window awning casting a diagonal shadow across its facade, nestled in between cypress, and the rolling countryside as a backdrop behind it. Painted late in the day, the sun was beginning to set creating gorgeous colors in the sky and casting a golden glow on everything it kissed in the foreground. May you be transported to the magic of Tuscany!

***

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. 2021

Portugal – Sept. 2021

Foodie Trek – Tuscany – Oct. 2022

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

****

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.

New “Rolling Shadows,” Tuscany Palette Knife Oil Painting by Niki Gulley

May 5, 2021

9″ x 12″ textured oil painting

Before my husband and I led our Tuscany Foodie Trek, we spent a couple of days capturing the gorgeous scenery on film and on canvas. I’ve always been attracted to this lone clump of cypress trees and on this day the clouds in the sky were so fascinating. Soft and voluminous and acting as the perfect backdrop behind the cypress grove, I had to capture it before they disappeared. I decided to have fun with the colors and strokes to add to the excitement and drama of the moment.

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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. 2021

Portugal – Sept. 2021

Foodie Trek – Tuscany – Oct. 2022

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

****

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.