New "Building on the Past" Oil Painting of the Cinque Terre by Niki Gulley

"Building on the Past," Cinque Terre, Italy ©2014 Niki Gulley
40" x 30" oil painting on wrap around canvas

Last year on our Cinque Terre Art Trek, we set up our easels in Riomaggiore and I tried to capture the intricate puzzle of stacked houses precariously balanced one on top of each other lining this cliffside. The engineering feat to build them fascinates me, and I love their bright hues contrasted against the Mediterranean's blues. I wonder what it's like to live there, to see that gorgeous ocean view out your window everyday and on the flip side, trying to navigate all of the uneven steep steps with groceries and daily tasks. Once back in my studio, I took my plein air sketch and photos and created this larger version of Riomaggiore in all of its colorful glory. I hope you can still hear the cathartic sounds of the waves crashing against the rocky shore and the joy of being on vacation in such a beautiful, uplifting place.

If you'd like to join us in Cinque Terre / Lake Como for our next Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop Sept. 12th-21st, please let me know. For more details, e-mail Niki Gulley or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

Upcoming ArtTreks

Paris, France – June 19-27, 2014

 Provence, France – June 26 – July 4, 2014

Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 5-13, 2014

Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – Sept. 12-21, 2014

New Orleans, LA - Oct. 22-25, 2014

2015

Venice, Italy – Carnivalé – Feb. 2015

 Athens and Santorini, Greece – June 26 – May 2015

The French Riviera – June 2014

 Provence, France – June /July 2015

Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop
Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

These workshops are filling up quickly, so we encourage you to register soon!

***

To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings and plein air oil paintings, please visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

Day 4, Venice Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Venice Art Trek, Day 4, Doge's Palace and Painting the back canals

12" x 9" textured oil painting by Niki Gulley

On our fourth day of our Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop, we visited the Doge's Palace, in all of its glory and were awed by its impressive art collection by Italian masters. Taking the "Secret Tour" we learned about parts of the Palace that you can't normally see, including the prisons, the torture room and stories of Casanova.

That afternoon we chose another back canal to paint while the photographers covered off the beaten path parts of the island. I liked the way the sunlight reflected across the water's surface, and I really wanted to capture a gondola in the distance, but since they move so quickly that was no easy task! Luckily there was a steady stream of gondolas passing by our location late in the day. I found myself painting as quickly as I could while one came into my composition, and if I didn't capture it in time, fortunately another vessel would come into view shortly afterwards, and I was pleased with the results.

A delicious home-made Italian meal to end the day with new friends!

If you'd like to join us on one of our upcoming Art Treks, please let me know. For more details, E-mail Niki@NikiGulley.com or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

Upcoming Art Treks

Paris, France – June 19-27, 2014

 Provence, France – June 26 – July 4, 2014 - wait list only

Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 5-13, 2014

Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – Sept. 12-21, 2014

Athens and Santorini, Greece – May 2015

French Riviera - June 2015

Provence, France - June 2015

Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops

Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

These workshops are filling up quickly, so we encourage you to register soon!

***

www.NikiGulley.com

Day 4, Venice Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Venice Art Trek, Day 4, Doge's Palace and Painting the back canals

12" x 9" textured oil painting by Niki Gulley

On our fourth day of our Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop, we visited the Doge's Palace, in all of its glory and were awed by its impressive art collection by Italian masters. Taking the "Secret Tour" we learned about parts of the Palace that you can't normally see, including the prisons, the torture room and stories of Casanova.

That afternoon we chose another back canal to paint while the photographers covered off the beaten path parts of the island. I liked the way the sunlight reflected across the water's surface, and I really wanted to capture a gondola in the distance, but since they move so quickly that was no easy task! Luckily there was a steady stream of gondolas passing by our location late in the day. I found myself painting as quickly as I could while one came into my composition, and if I didn't capture it in time, fortunately another vessel would come into view shortly afterwards, and I was pleased with the results.

A delicious home-made Italian meal to end the day with new friends!

If you'd like to join us on one of our upcoming Art Treks, please let me know. For more details, E-mail Niki@NikiGulley.com or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

Upcoming Art Treks

Paris, France – June 19-27, 2014

 Provence, France – June 26 – July 4, 2014 - wait list only

Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 5-13, 2014

Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – Sept. 12-21, 2014

Athens and Santorini, Greece – May 2015

French Riviera - June 2015

Provence, France - June 2015

Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops

Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

These workshops are filling up quickly, so we encourage you to register soon!

***

www.NikiGulley.com

Day 2 (Burano), Venice Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

"Wash and Dry," Burano ©2013 Niki Gulley

10" x 8" • textured oil painting

On the second day of our Venice Art Trek, we headed to the islands of Burano and Murano. Burano is known as a fishing community (and for the homemade lace that they make there), and to help the fisherman find their houses while coming back from sea, they painted their homes every color of the rainbow. With the picturesque canals and so many great colored buildings to choose from, it's hard to pick a single subject matter! We were drawn to this quiet location, however, and the vibrant red stucco wall with that morning's laundry being hung out to dry screamed to be painted. Today I chose to work with thick oil paint and palette knife to capture the rough surface of the walls, resulting in a final painting which is loaded with texture and color.

If you'd like to join us on one of our upcoming Art Treks, please let me know. The final registration deadline of March 1st for our Tuscany and Cinque Terre/Lake Como, Italy workshops is quickly approaching!

Or, closer to home I'll be leading a Plein Air Painting Workshop sponsored through the Good Art Company gallery in Fredericksburg, TX, April 5-7, during Texas wildflower season.

ArtTreks
Tuscany, Italy - Sept. 6-14
Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy - Sept. 13-22
Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop
Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Final Registration Deadline: March 1st
For more details, E-mail Niki Gulley or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

Plein Air Painting in the Texas Hill Country

April 5-7, 2013

http://goodartcompany.com/gacart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=39_47&products_id=215

These workshops are filling up quickly, so we encourage you to register soon!

***

www.NikiGulley.com

Plein Air Painting in Venice with Niki Gulley

"Romantic Passage," Venice ©2013 Niki Gulley

12" x 9" • textured oil painting

We just got back from teaching our latest Painting and Photography Art Trek in Venice during Carnivalé and had the most amazing time! The weather was ideal our first day there, and we found our way to this quiet landing to paint a typical Venetian canal. I liked the way the sunlight reflected across the water's surface, and I really wanted to capture a gondola in that lit space, but since they move so quickly that was no easy task! Luckily around 11am, there was a steady stream of gondolas passing by our location. I found myself painting as quickly as I could while one came into my composition, and if I didn't capture it in time, fortunately another vessel would come into view shortly afterwards, and I was really pleased with the results.

If you'd like to join us on one of our upcoming Art Treks, please let me know. The final registration deadline of March 1st for our Tuscany and Cinque Terre/Lake Como, Italy workshops is quickly approaching!

Or, closer to home I'll be leading a Plein Air Painting Workshop sponsored through the Good Art Company gallery in Fredericksburg, TX, April 5-7, during Texas wildflower season.

ArtTreks
Tuscany, Italy - Sept. 6-14
Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy - Sept. 13-22
Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop
Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Final Registration Deadline: March 1st
For more details, E-mail Niki Gulley or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

Plein Air Painting in the Texas Hill Country

April 5-7, 2013

http://goodartcompany.com/gacart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=39_47&products_id=215

These workshops are filling up quickly, so we encourage you to register soon!

***

www.NikiGulley.com

Deadline approaching for "Coloring Outside the Lines" Workshop

"Morning Textures II" Tuscany ©2012 Niki Gulley

12" x 9" oil

Day 6, morning location - Tuscany Art Trek

On the last morning of our Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop, we headed into the nearby town and set up our easels to capture the beautiful morning light illuminating every crack and textured surface of the Renaissance architecture. The only tricky part was trying to find a location where we were out of the way of traffic, because no matter how narrow and quiet a street may seem, tiny Italian cars will eventually buzz by you. Once establishing our drawing and focal point, we had to paint quickly to capture the changing light and be out of the nearby trattorias way as they were gearing up for the noon rush. I loved how everyone's paintings turned out! the resulting paintings were full of spontaneity and energy as we had no time to fuss or overwork our paintings, and merely reacted instinctively to the scene.

If you'd like to join us for next year's Art Trek to Venice in February, Greece in May, Tuscany in September or Cinque Terre / Lake Como in September, please visit NikiGulley.com/Artreks for more information. Workshops fill up quickly, so please let us know if you are interested. Registration deadlines for some of the trips are less than a month away!

If you'd like to learn how to paint with more color and freedom, please join me for my upcoming workshop, "Coloring Outside the Lines," in Fredericksburg, TX, Nov. 2-4. Registration deadline is Oct. 15th. For details, visit nikigulley.com/art-classes.

Niki Gulley helping one of her students with her painting on the last day of our Tuscany Art Trek.

If you have questions about the Art Treks workshops or are interested in purchasing any of my plein air paintings, please e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com.

NikiGulley.com