Painting Iceland with Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

  

9" x 12” textured acrylic painting on canvas panel by Niki Gulley

Iceland Art Trek: Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Day 5 - Southeast Corner

On Day 5 of our Iceland Art Trek, Scott drove the photographers to visit the glacier lagoons. Meanwhile, we stayed back and painted on the beautiful grounds of our hotel. Of course, five painting locations into our Iceland Art Trek and we were getting spoiled with the idyllic weather. So, Mother Nature had other plans today and we encountered a fair amount of fog and mist. Not to worry, I had a plan! We were able to gather on our hotel deck and capture the ethereal view from there while enjoying some hot tea and coffee.

Here you can see just how massive these volcanic mountains are in comparison to the tiny houses below. Again, the mist shrouds the top of the mountain and you get the sense of living in the clouds. May you enjoy the peace and respite in this one.

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

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my Iceland painting series.

***

 If you're a painter, a photographer, a foodie or if you just want to come along for the fun-filled ride, join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks. Spaces fill up quickly, so let us know if you're interested in this once in a lifetime experience!

Globe-Trotting Immersive Excursions for 

Artists, Foodies & Travelers

_________________________________________________

Switzerland Art Trek 
August 2026

Waitlist Available

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
Sept. 2027

A Few Spots Left! 

 

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.

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

****

Iceland Painting and Photography Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

 

9" x 12” textured acrylic painting on canvas panel by Niki Gulley

Iceland Art Trek: Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Day 4 - Vatnajokull National Park

The next morning, we headed further east to the Vatnjokull National Park. Here we had several hours to hike and photograph the exotic scenery and another amazing waterfall before our drive to our hotel located near the glacier lagoons.

Iceland offers so many dramatic shifts in its terrain. Land of fire and ice! Today we encountered both, and so we set out to capture that contrast. Starting near a “dormant” volcanic area (at least the guide claimed it is only erupts every 40 years), below you can see the lava rock formations and above that the glacier arises through the mist. At least when we started painting we could see the icy top, but as fog does it continued to roll into our scene and obliterate our upper view. Glad we got it captured in our under painting before it disappeared!

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

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my Iceland painting series.

***

 If you're a painter, a photographer, a foodie or if you just want to come along for the fun-filled ride, join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks. Spaces fill up quickly, so let us know if you're interested in this once in a lifetime experience!

Globe-Trotting Immersive Excursions for 

Artists, Foodies & Travelers

_________________________________________________

Switzerland Art Trek 
August 2026

Waitlist Available

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
Sept. 2027

A Few Spots Left! 

 

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.

***

 NikiGulley.com

Iceland Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

   

9" x 12” textured acrylic painting by Niki Gulley

Iceland Art Trek… Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop
Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 3: Evening Location - Seljalandsfoss

For our next Iceland adventure, you guessed it - we visited another waterfall! This one is so magical and unique since you can walk behind the falls and peer out the cave as the water rushes from above crashing into the reservoir below. 

Talk about stepping into an enchanted land — The setting sun illuminates rock faces causing the ore to shimmer in golds and tangerines while cascading waters glisten like iridescent, liquid pearls. Giant, otherworldly plants fill the foreground like you’ve stepped into a fairytale from yesteryear. Our brushes and palette knives dance and skip in rhythmic waves as we capture that beauty before the final remnants of sunshine.

I hope you, too, can feel these cascades power and beauty.

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

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my Iceland painting series.

***

 

 Tuscany is always our most popular Foodie Trek as the food, wine, people, scenery and history are unparalleled. And, you're in luck if you've always wanted to go! We've had two spots open up for our trip this fall and there are a couple of spots still open for 2026. Please let us know if you would like to join us!

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
2 Spots Left!

https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Switzerland Art Trek 
August 2026

Just A Few Spots left!

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
Sept. 2027

Registration Now Open

 

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.

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

 

9" x 12” textured acrylic painting on canvas panel by Niki Gulley

Iceland Art Trek… Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop
Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 3: Afternoon Location - Turf Houses

Today we encountered a new challenge. How to capture sod-roofed houses set against grassy hills, built upon - you guessed it - more turf. That’s a lot of green upon green upon green! This Viking village dates back about 200 years, and it’s been preserved to it’s original state. Not something we see everyday, so we just had to do our best to capture it despite the green challenge. A good lesson in mixing colors, warmer in the foreground and cooler in the distance to help the background recede.

 

Meanwhile the photographers explored another waterfall nearby. While that cascade is smaller in stature, it is no less impressive. It tumbles down over the rocky mountain and empties into a river carving its way through the lush, craggy valley below.

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

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my Iceland painting series.

***

 Tuscany is always our most popular Foodie Trek as the food, wine, people, scenery and history are unparalleled. And, you're in luck if you've always wanted to go! We've had two spots open up for our trip this fall and there are a couple of spots still open for 2026. Please let us know if you would like to join us!

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
2 Spots Left!

https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Switzerland Art Trek 
August 2026

Just A Few Spots left!

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
Sept. 2027

Registration Now Open

 

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.

"Black Beach Glow" Palette Knife Painting of Iceland by Niki Gulley

  

"Black Beach Glow" ©2026 Niki Gulley

SOLD • 5" x 7” textured oil painting

Iceland Art Trek… Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop
Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams
Day 2: Afternoon Location - Black Beach & Puffins

On our second afternoon in Iceland, we set out to find adorable puffins diving off cliffs to capture their morning's catch. After that we visited the Black Beach where the rock formations and caves were formed out of black lava. Giant basalt columns stacked one right after the other dominate the shoreline. I wanted to capture their texture and the peaceful glow as the sun rose on the horizon in this little painting. 

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

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my Iceland painting series.

*** 

 Tuscany is always our most popular Foodie Trek as the food, wine, people, scenery and history are unparalleled. And, you're in luck if you've always wanted to go! We've had two spots open up for our trip this fall and there are a couple of spots still open for 2026. Please let us know if you would like to join us!

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
2 Spots Left!

https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Switzerland Art Trek 
August 2026

Just A Few Spots left!

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
Sept. 2027

Registration Now Open

 

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.

***

Painting Lighthouse in Iceland with Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

 

“Lighting the Way" ©2026 Niki Gulley

9" x 12” textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

Iceland Art Trek: Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Day 2 - Vik

Scott and I absolutely love lighthouses. Beacons of hope. Lighting the way. Each one unique architecturally, honoring its heritage and traditions. So, on our Iceland Art Trek that we just led, our students and us were excited to set up our easels / tripods and capture this striking beauty perched high about the ocean on the south coast. It was a gorgeous day to paint – sunny and 70 degrees! In Iceland!!! So, we took full advantage of that. The sun rising on the horizon added another ray of hope, and I enjoyed playing one light source off the other. I hope you enjoy the view, too, and feel the warmth lighting your path!

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

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my Iceland painting series.

 ***

 Tuscany is always our most popular Foodie Trek as the food, wine, people, scenery and history are unparalleled. And, you're in luck if you've always wanted to go! We've had two spots open up for our trip this fall and there are a couple of spots still open for 2026. Please let us know if you would like to join us!

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
2 Spots Left!

https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Switzerland Art Trek 
August 2026

Just A Few Spots left!

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
Sept. 2027

Registration Now Open

 

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.

Waterfall Palette Knife Painting from Iceland by Niki Gulley

  

9" x 12” textured acrylic painting on canvas panel by Niki Gulley

Iceland Art Trek – Plein-Air Painting and Photography Workshop

Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Day 1 - Skogafoss

What a glorious way to start our Iceland Art Trek! First stop, Skogafoss, a massive, powerful waterfall that’s carved its way through ancient moss covered lava rocks. Truly inspiring and just what we needed to refresh our souls! Surrounded by lush grassy mountains, this cascade surges downward with such force and power. Today we set up our easels to capture the energy and flow of the water. Creating strokes in diagonal sweeping shapes to enhance that feeling of movement and rhythm, I hope you, too, can hear the flowing water's music and feel the gentle spray from its mist.

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

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my Iceland painting series.

 

*** 

 Tuscany is always our most popular Foodie Trek as the food, wine, people, scenery and history are unparalleled. And, you're in luck if you've always wanted to go! We've had two spots open up for our trip this fall and there are a couple of spots still open for 2026. Please let us know if you would like to join us!

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
2 Spots Left!

https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Switzerland Art Trek 
August 2026

Just A Few Spots left!

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
Sept. 2027

Registration Now Open

 

If you  have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

 
Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.