Cottonwood Art Festival this weekend & Tuscany Workshop

"Morning Overlook," Montepulciano • 9" x 12" oil by Niki Gulley

Day 2 - Morning Location - ART TREKS: Tuscany

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

On day 2 of our Tuscany workshop, we headed to the picturesque hill town of Montepulciano, know for the delicious red wines. We set up at this beautiful scenic overlook to paint the valley below. Narrowing down a subject to paint was challenging since the whole scene was amazing, but impossible to capture all of it on our small travel canvases.

Several students settled on painting the Duomo below, with its unique architecture and aqua dome. I decided to sketch in some of the buildings on the left side of my composition and show the Duomo and the lush landscape on the right.

With only two hours left of morning sunlight, we had to paint very quickly, but everyone did a great job. Bella - as a few onlookers commented to us in Italian!

One of our my students with her finished painting of the cathedral below.

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I'll have this Tuscany oil painting in addition to many more at the Cottonwood Art Festival, CottonwoodArtFestival.com, this weekend, Oct. 1st & 2nd from 9am - 6pm in Richardson, TX. Please stop by my booth to see them in person.

Or, if you would like to join us on future ART TREKS to Paris, France in May or Tuscany, Italy in September, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420, which goes into detail about our upcoming Plein Air Painting & Photography Workshops. Early registration deadline for a $500 savings is quickly approaching!

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E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

Visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

Tuscany Plein Air Painting Workshop with Niki Gulley

5" x 7" textured oil by Niki Gulley

Day 1 - Afternoon Location - ART TREKS: Tuscany

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

After we finished our morning painting at the villa, and enjoyed a delicious lunch of proscuittos, pecorinos, fresh fruit and a little vino, we ventured out to our afternoon location. Just one of the unique aspects of the Tuscan landscape are the cypress that dot the horizon, so we picked this long curving road lined by cypress for our second subject. This was the only day that it looked like it might rain, but we lucked out and the drops stayed away. The overcast skies are actually quite nice for plein air work because it provides some shade while you're painting, and keeps the light more constant.

So we set up our easels along this overlook, and quickly blocked in our basic shapes and colors. Next we worked on creating volume in the hillsides, and then added highlights and shadows to the bushes to give them more dimension. Lastly, we added highlights to our road and finally the fun part - all of those cypress lining the road. Above you can see my easel set up - I like this simple lightweight pochade box by EASyL (http://www.windriverarts.com/pochade_boxes.htm), which holds everything: palette, paints, brushes and 2 wet boards.

As a reward that night, we treated ourselves to a fantastic Tuscan dinner!

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I'll have this Tuscany oil painting in addition to many more at the Cottonwood Art Festival, CottonwoodArtFestival.com, this weekend, Oct. 1st & 2nd from 9am - 6pm in Richardson, TX. Please stop by my booth to see them in person.

Or, if you would like to join us on future ART TREKS to Paris, France in May or Tuscany, Italy in September, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420, which goes into detail about our upcoming Plein Air Painting & Photography Workshops. Early registration deadline for a $500 savings is quickly approaching!

***

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

Visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

ART TREKS: Tuscany with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

8" x 10" oil by Niki Gulley

Day 1 - ART TREKS: Tuscany

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

On the first day of our Tuscany workshop, we stayed right at our villa (pictured below) since the scenery there is so beautiful and painted right on site. While some of the group chose the countryside for their first subject, I had a couple of students who had never painted before and one professional artist, Barbara Mason, http://www.dragonflystudiocreations.com/index.cfm?pID=2724, who decided to paint the still life.

Barbara often paints these gorgeous pears and cherries, so we set up a still life next to her against this textured old stone wall. When someone has never painted before, I like to start them on a single subject like this, rather than have them try to narrow down what to paint from the entire landscape. So first, we sketched out our composition, and then applied a thin layer of oil paint to block in the basic shapes and colors. Next, we added depth by introducing the shadows and highlights to each object in the still life. Lastly, we worked on creating texture in the stone wall behind the fruit bowl and lastly, we added finishing details, such as stems, bowl rims, etc. Of course, when we were finished we had to treat ourselves to the delicious Tuscan fruit – grown locally – sweet and delicious!

I'll have this Tuscany oil painting in addition to many more at the Cottonwood Art Festival, CottonwoodArtFestival.com, this weekend, Oct. 1st & 2nd from 9am - 6pm in Richardson, TX. Please stop by my booth to see them in person.

Or, if you would like to join us on future ART TREKS to Paris, France in May or Tuscany, Italy in September, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420, which goes into detail about our upcoming Plein Air Painting & Photography Workshops. Early registration deadline for a $500 savings is quickly approaching!

***

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

Visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

Art Treks - Paris with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

“Flowing Radiance” ©2011 Niki Gulley

12” x 24” textured oil on wrap around canvas

My initial study for a 48" x 90" triptych, but I love how this small oil turned out, too! Inspired by Monet's Gardens in Giverny, France, I wanted to paint a contemporary rendition of his lily pond, which would be flowing with color, light, warmth and energy.

I'll have this textured oil painting in addition to many more at the Cottonwood Art Festival, CottonwoodArtFestival.com, next weekend, Oct. 1st & 2nd from 9am - 6pm in Richardson, TX. Please stop by my booth to see them in person.

Or, if you would like to join us in May for our next ArtTrek to Paris, France, and paint Monet's Gardens in person, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420, which goes into detail about our upcoming Plein Air Painting & Photography Workshops. Early registration deadline for a $500 savings is quickly approaching!

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E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

Visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

Monet's Gardens oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Monet’s Passion” ©2011 Niki Gulley

12” x 24” textured oil on wrap around canvas

Early morning light washes over Monet’s water lily garden in his beloved home at Giverny, France. Quiet, tranquil colors rim the pond, reflected in the glassy surface, waters casting back sky and foliage in a radiance of hues. Iris leaves front the pond, lilies break its surface, willows brush the water’s edge – everything just as Monet would have seen, now in a fresh, contemporary new work of art.

I'll have this textured oil painting in addition to many more at the Cottonwood Art Festival, CottonwoodArtFestival.com, next weekend, Oct. 1st & 2nd from 9am - 6pm in Richardson, TX. Please stop by my booth to see them in person.

Or, if you would like to join us in May for our next ArtTrek to Paris, France, and paint Monet's Gardens in person, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420, which goes into detail about our upcoming Plein Air Painting & Photography Workshops. Early registration deadline for a $500 savings is quickly approaching!

***

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

Visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

"Culmination" - Triptych painting by Niki Gulley

"Culmination" ©2011 Niki Gulley

Three 48" x 30" canvases to form a 48" x 90" triptych

textured mixed media on wrap around canvas

I decided it would be a fun challenge to create an extremely large painting, and I wanted the final piece to be very uplifting, colorful and full of energy. Opting for warm colors and working with extremely thick oil paint and palette knives, I chose this water lily pond reference from our visit to my Monet's Gardens in Giverny, France. The grounds were breathtaking and I could actually see his paintings come to life. I was drawn to the energetic flow and yet calming serenity in this view, and I positioned the water lilies and my paint strokes in a circular pattern to add to that mood. The morning light peeking through the distant foliage added to a sense of mystery and promise that I wanted to capture in paint and share with you that feeling of hope.

I'll have this contemporary landscape painting in addition to more of my large scale oil paintings at the Cottonwood Art Festival, CottonwoodArtFestival.com, next weekend, Oct. 1st & 2nd from 9am - 6pm in Richardson, TX. Please stop by my booth to see them in person.

Or, if you would like to join us in May for our next ArtTrek to Paris, France, and paint Monet's Gardens in person, visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420, which goes into detail about our upcoming Plein Air Painting & Photography Workshops.

***

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

Visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

"Autumn Splendor" textured aspen tree painting by Niki Gulley

“Autumn Splendor” ©2011 Niki Gulley

36” x 48” textured oil on wrap around canvas

Shimmering colors of autumn: Aspen trees quiver, their light graceful leaves tremble and quake, silver and gold, silver and gold with each light breeze.

There is the quiet energy of change coming and vibrant color charges the woods. Crisp fall mountain air, clean bright skies overhead, a band of slender straight trucks cut bright strokes of white against a dazzling tumble of green, crimson and gold.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my textured oil aspen and birch tree paintings.

See NikiGulley.com

"Rushing Desires" oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Rushing Desires” ©2011 Niki Gulley

SOLD • 60” x 36” textured oil on canvas

Just Sold! Charging down its stone cut course, torrents of water rush through grey boulders past green and gold bracken. Headlong and unrestrained the waters crash downstream, while above they splash into the airy distance a glowing, hazy tiara of misty sunlight. Thick brushstrokes of radiant oils define the powerful landscape carrying your eye through a complex composition of dynamic diagonals cleaved with the vertical cascade, caressed with a delicate crossing of gold dusted branches. A painting of power and energy balanced by graceful strokes of beauty, I wanted “Rushing Desires” to be about texture, movement, mystery and the cathartic feeling in nature.

To see more of Niki Gulley’s textured oil paintings, visit NikiGulley.com,

Or, e-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her contemporary landscapes.

Passage of Illumination oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Passage of Illumination” ©2011 Niki Gulley

48” x 60” textured oil on canvas

Wander down this path that beckons you and lift your eyes heavenward to that cobalt vault lined by a rainbow of vivid greens and golds and gleaming crimson, purposely choosing these warm vibrant colors to suggest a hopeful future. Like an ancient chorus these joyful trees sing with dazzling colors, a call and respond to each other across the enticing path that traces verses of light and dark, hue and color, an alluring siren song leading you into the depths of this radiant, vanishing horizon. A painting rich in color and light, joy and energy its double bowed composition gently leads gently you into this magical, blissful destination.

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

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

"Texas Treats" - Bluebonnet oil painting by Niki Gulley

"Texas Treats" ©2011 Niki Gulley

12" x 12" textured oil painting on canvas

I painted these Texas bluebonnets with extremely thick oil paint and palette knives to achieve extreme texture. The resulting image comes to life and is loaded with color and energy. In this wildflower series, I've painted the scene around the edges of the canvas on 1 1/2" deep stretcher bars so that the paintings can be hung without a frame for a unique sculptural effect.

To see more of my bluebonnet and Texas paintings, visit NikiGulley.com /?page_id=229.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my textured oil paintings.

Bluebonnets & Texas Wildflowers painting by Niki Gulley

"Texas Treats IV" ©2011 Niki Gulley

SOLD • 12" x 12" oil painting on canvas

Just Sold! I painted these Texas bluebonnets & Indian Blanket with extremely thick oil paint and palette knives to achieve extreme texture so that the image comes to life and leaps off the canvas! In this wildflower painting series, I've painted the scene around the edges of the canvas on 1 1/2" deep stretcher bars so that the paintings can be hung without a frame for a unique sculptural effect.

To see more of my bluebonnet and Texas paintings, visit NikiGulley.com /?page_id=229.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my textured oil paintings.

"Aqua Dreams" textured oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Aqua Dreams” ©2011 Niki Gulley

36” x 60” textured oil on canvas

When we arrived at this tranquil spot, the early morning light was very cool in color, but as the sun began to rise from the horizon, it shone this beautiful warm light that shimmered on the water’s surface and cast its hope of what was to come from the brand new day. I remember the peacefulness I felt in that moment, and a sense that anything was possible. In Aqua Dreams, by showing the contrast in the cool aqua/blues in the foreground waters against the warm golden glow on the distant pond’s edge, I wanted to share that feeling of hope and promise communicated by nature.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her textured oil aspen and birch tree paintings.

Or, to see more of her artwork, go to NikiGulley.com.

New Textured Birch Painting by Niki Gulley

"Colorful Transformation" ©2011 by Niki Gulley
textured oil painting • 36" x 48"

Rather than create an exact replica of the forest, I wanted to focus on brilliant color and simple shapes to see if I could communicate the excitement I feel when surrounded by nature. Using energetic diagonal strokes and thick, textured paint, I hope you get a sense of the motion in the leaves and the power of nature to invigorate your spirit. I just love how this piece captured that essence!

For more information on this birch painting, e-mail me at Niki Gulley.

Or, to see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, go to NikiGulley.com.