After a delicious lunch of prosciutto and pecorinos on day three of our painting / photography workshop in Tuscany, we decided to venture into the countryside and paint this lone clump of cypress trees. With the simpler subject (and maybe a little Chianti at lunch!), everyone could relax and play, having fun pushing their colors and experimenting with their strokes. I liked how the late afternoon sun was casting such long dramatic shadows on the ground and I decide to accentuate the cool blues and violets I saw in the darks to contrast with the gold rolling hills.

If you’ve dreamt about painting in Tuscany, join us for our next Plein Air Painting Workshop in Sept. 2011. Visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=13 for more information or e-mail me at [email protected].

To see my paintings, my husband’s (Scott Williams’) photographs, and our students’ creations from this year’s Venice & Tuscany painting and photography classes, stop by our “From Pasta to Schnitzel” art party Friday night at our studio in Dallas or the check out the White Rock Lake Artists’ Studio Tour Saturday and Sunday. For more information on the Studio Tour, see WhiteRockArtists.com.