plein-air painting workshops Italy

“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.

***

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!

***

“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!

***

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 “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.

***

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.

***

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.

“Walking in Sunshine” Palette Knife Sunflower Painting by Niki Gulley

April 12, 2021

16″ x 20″ textured oil painting

Follow the path leading you through bright, smiling sunflower faces as big as dinner plates, filling you with more joy with each step. A quaint stone farmhouse in the distance welcomes you to come in and enjoy the view as the sun starts to set over the horizon and cast its late day glow. Full of warmth, color and texture, my hope is that when you gaze into this piece, it lifts your spirits and brightens up any spot in your home.

For more information on this painting, please contact The Good Art Company Gallery, in Fredericksburg, TX at goodartcompany.com/gacart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=25&sort=20a&page=1&z.

***

For details on more of my sunflower and contemporary floral landscape paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, check out my website at nikigulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

“Ross Castle” Oil Painting from Ireland by Niki Gulley

February 14, 2020

9″ x 12″ textured oil painting

Day 7: Ireland ART TREK
Afternoon location: Ross Castle, Killarney

Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

On the last afternoon of our Ireland Art Trek, we visited Ross Castle. While the photographers explored the castle and grounds, the painters set up their easels to capture this majestic view of the castle and lake. Although we didn’t have enough time to finish, you can get idea of the overall scene and the fast moving clouds with a tiny patch of blue sky poking through. Afterwards, we enjoyed a peaceful boat tour of the lake and came back to our home base, to share our photos and paintings of our trip. What a great way to end a wonderful Art Trek with new friends!

Painting at Ross Castle.

Finishing up our Art Trek by sharing our paintings and photographs from the trip.

***

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.

****

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 “Walking in Sunshine” by Palette Knife Artist Niki Gulley

February 11, 2020

18″ x 24″ textured oil painting

“Walking in Sunshine” was inspired by a trip to Provence, France. Our timing was perfect and the sunflowers were in full bloom. Their bright, smiling faces as big as dinner plates, the path leading you deep into the golden field to the quaint stone farmhouse in the distance, and the beautiful late summer day made for the ideal subject. The resulting painting is full of warmth, color and texture, and my hope is that when you gaze into it, this piece lifts your spirits and brightens up any spot in your home.

Close up texture detail:

***

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.

****

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.