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/

 

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/

 

Portugal Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

    

©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 1 – Sintra
On our first full day of our Portugal Art Trek, we hit the ground running by visiting the fairy tale town of Sintra filled with exotic gardens, palaces and castles. First stop was La Quinta de Regaleira, decorated in an ornate facade and surrounded by enchanting gardens filled with gothic turrets, carved gargoyles and hidden tunnels. We chose this view grand view of the gardens with one of the palaces in the backgrounds and began capturing our first painting of the trip. It was a truly magical setting! 
 
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/

 

Portugal Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

    

“Atlantic Coastline” ©2022 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 9″ x 12″ textured oil painting
 
Portugal Art Trek: 
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
Day 1 – Cascais

 

Once we finished researching our 2022 Art Trek to Alsace, France, we flew to Portugal to begin leading this summer’s Art Trek to our intrepid group. Our first afternoon was rather leisurely since most of our group was arriving from the United States and shaking off their jet lag. So once everyone checked into our oceanside hotel and took a short nap, we set out on a walking tour of our home base town, Cascais. The Atlantic Ocean hugs its coastline, and there is a great walking trail all along the city. Above, you can see how I wanted to capture the gorgeous rock formations and the beautiful colors in the ocean. 
 
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, and finished the night with a delicious dinner of Portuguese tapas. A great way to start the trip!
 
View from our hotel
 
 
 
To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 

 

 

***
 
If you’d like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, including Portugal and Spain in 2024, please let us know. 
 
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.
 
***

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

 

Portugal’s Gorgeous Coastline Painted by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

“Atlantic Coastline II” ©2020 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 12″ x 9″ textured oil painting on canvas panel
 
Portugal Art Trek: 
Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
 
Day 4 – Evening Boat Ride

 

After returning from Obidos, we treated ourselves to a relaxing boat cruise along Cascais’ rocky shoreline and surrounding cities. Mother nature didn’t disappoint and we were able to enjoy a gorgeous sunset as we sipped on some local Portuguese wines!
 
Above you’ll see my interpretation of the coastline. I wanted this painting to be about the power of the ocean to lift your spirits. I also wanted to capture the gorgeous rock formations and the beautiful colors in the ocean. Whenever I visit the coastline I always feel rejuvenated, and I hope I’ve translated that onto the canvas for you to experience it, too.
 
 
 
To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 

 

***
 
If you’d like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks, including one to Alsace, France next August or on our Foodie Trek to Tuscany, please let us know. 
 
 
 
Alsace, France – Aug. 2022
Tuscany Foodie Trek – Oct. 2022 (wait list only) / Oct. 2023
 
For more information on upcoming Art Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.