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.

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

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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.

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"Breaking Through" White Rock Lake Painting by Dallas Artist Niki Gulley

  

"Breaking Through," White Rock Lake ©2022 Niki Gulley

24" x 18" textured oil painting

On a peaceful spring morning, I set up my easel at White Rock Lake to capture the sun rising behind this beautiful, tangled Cottonwood. I liked how the warm light accentuated the tree's curves and textured bark, and I chose this vertical composition to show off its size and strength. In the distance, the light starts to break through the clouds,  causing  the water's surface to glisten and illuminating the landscape. I hope this scene gives you a sense of peace and lifts your spirits for what the day has to bring.

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

E-mail - Niki Gulley

To purchase "Breaking Through" and see framing options, check out nikigulley.com/breaking-through/.

"Along the Shoreline" by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

  

“Along the Shoreline” ©2023 Niki Gulley

14" x 18” textured oil painting on canvas

Early on a fall morning the sun breaks softly through leafy branches and casts early autumn’s palette across the creek. Silent water is ruffled by a gentle breeze. Arching over, bending into the quiet waters, a tree arches into the scene – encompassing, embracing. This painting captures the dreamy reflections and tranquil landscape of one of my favorite spots to paint on location near my home. It is painted in the traditional plein air oil manner, incorporating some heavy texture with palette knife.

To purchase "Breaking Through", please visit nikigulley.com/breaking-through/.

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E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her contemporary landscape paintings. 

See NikiGulley.com to view her textured palette knife oil paintings.

Painting Godafoss Waterfall with Niki Gulley - Iceland Art Trek

        

“Cascades III" ©2022 Niki Gulley

9" x 12” textured oil painting on canvas panel

To purchase, visit nikigulley.com/cascades-iii/.

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

Day 5 - Godafoss

This evening we arrived in time to witness sunset over the massive Godafoss falls at the top of The Golden Circle. I set out to capture these gorgeous falls with all of their power and glory. Using diagonal strokes to capture the energy and strength of the cascades, I also wanted to show the mountains they were tumbling over as the water gushed and tumbled. Dramatic sunset clouds drift by, adding to the rhythm and emotion of this special place.The colors were so beautiful in the sky and created a rainbow of reflected colors in the cascading water. Sketching out my composition and squeezing out my colors ahead of time helped me be able to capture this fleeting moment. I hope you can hear the surging water and feel the joy of this magical place.

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

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

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If you'd like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. We'll be returning to Iceland in August of 2024!

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

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"Cascades" from Iceland by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

 

"Cascades" ©2021 Niki Gulley

SOLD • 12" x 9” textured oil painting on canvas panel

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

Day 4 - Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

On Day 4 of our Iceland Art Trek, Scott drove the photographers to visit the glacier lagoons. Meanwhile, I stayed back and painted on the beautiful grounds of our hotel. The waterfalls in Iceland are incredible and practically around every turn – crashing through cliffs, splashing over rocks, bubbling downstream and trickling out to sea. This one was actually next to our hotel and screamed that I had to capture it! I chose to paint this scene with loose, expressive brushstrokes to convey the movement and energy of the rushing water and the texture in the cliffs and rocks. Also, adding to the joy of the moment, summer's last lupines dot the landscape with brilliant hues of blues.

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

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

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

"Ross Castle" from Killarney, Ireland by Niki Gulley

 

 

"Ross Castle" ©2022 Niki Gulley

9" x 12" textured oil painting

Day 7:  Ireland ART TREK
Afternoon location: Ross Castle, Killarney

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

On the last afternoon of our Ireland Art Trek, we visited Ross Castle. While the photographers explored the castle and grounds, the painters set up their easels to capture this majestic view of the castle and lake. With the possibility of rain approaching, the clouds were moving so fast that only a tiny patch of blue sky peeked through and we had to paint quickly. Afterwards, we enjoyed a peaceful boat tour of the lake and came back to our home base, to share our photos and paintings of our trip. What a great way to end a wonderful Art Trek with new friends

If you're interested in purchasing this painting, just follow this link  http://nikigulley.com/ross-castle/.

Painting at Ross Castle.

Finishing up our Art Trek by sharing our paintings and photographs from the trip.

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If you're interested in learning more about our upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.

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"Acropolis" by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

 

"Acropolis," Athens, Greece ©2022 Niki Gulley

9" x 12" oil painting on panel

On the first full day of our plein air painting and photography workshop in Greece, we visited the Acropolis in Athens along with several other ancient sites. It was truly awe inspiring to see a part of history from the fifth century BC and to imagine what life must have been like as democracy was beginning. In the afternoon, the painters set up their easels on top of the balcony at our hotel to paint this beautiful view of the Parthenon while the photographers continued touring the city. In this oil painting, I wanted to capture a sense of scale with the Acropolis, and suggest how it rises above the city on this massive mound, towering majestically over the city, kissed by the clouds above.

If you're interested in purchasing this painting, follow this link http://nikigulley.com/acropolis/.

Breakfast from the terrace of our hotel. What a view of the Acropolis!

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If you're interested in joining us on one of our upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

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

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"Flying High" Palette Knife Painting from New Orleans by Niki Gulley

          

"Flying High," New Orleans  ©2022 Niki Gulley • 12" x 9" palette knife oil painting

New Orleans Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Day 2, Afternoon Location: The French Quarter

This was one of those quaint corridors that was just bursting with vibrant colors in the French Quarter. It was hard to decide what to paint, with all of the picturesque cafes and stores lining the walk. What really caught my eye though, were all of bright flags flapping in the afternoon breeze. 

If you're interested in purchasing this painting, just follow this link http://www.nikigulley.com/flying-high/.

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

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

***

If you're interested in joining us on one of upcoming Art Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

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

***

New Orleans Garden District Painting by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

 

          

"Oak Beauties," New Orleans  ©2022 Niki Gulley

12" x 9" palette knife oil painting

On our plein air painting and photography workshop my husband and I taught in New Orleans, we rode the trolley to the Garden District and set out to capture the beautiful architecture so distinctive of the area. I was attracted to this grand pink house, and in particular I loved the huge old oak tree framing it. The dappled light hitting the trunk was so striking that I decided to accentuate that in my painting with a multitude of colors and values while making the background soft to keep the composition from becoming too cluttered. The sheer size and age of the trees in New Orleans is incredible, which I set out to show juxtaposing the massive oak against the smaller two-story homes in the distance. Created with palette knife and a lot of oil paint, this canvas is loaded with texture and uplifting colors so that you feel the joy and energy of hanging out in New Orleans.

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

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

Pastel Home Portrait by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

 

SOLD • 11" x 14" pastel by Niki Gulley

Just Delivered! My final request for 2022 was to create a special home portrait. I no longer advertise that I make these, but I am still happy to paint something special for my collectors or their referrals by request. So for this particular pastel, someone new reached out to me with the craziest 6-degrees-of-separation story! They had purchased a home in the M streets of Dallas and the previous home owner (who turned out to be one of my early collectors) had gifted and left them the home portrait I had created for her in 2004.

Fast forward to this year, and these home owners were ready to move into another place, so they wanted to pass on the gift again to the new people purchasing their home and leave my home portrait from 2004 with the house. So, of course when they moved into their new place (and no one had left a home portrait here), they asked me to create something special for their Christmas gift. So fun! I was even able to include their doggie in the window this time. I hope they enjoy the new memories, and a big thank you to both home owners from 2004 and 2022.

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

For more information on my large floral paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Santa Fe Pastel by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

 

"The Blue Door," Santa Fe ©2022 Niki Gulley
12" x 9" pastel

During our Santa Fe workshop, one morning we headed to a quiet street in downtown. It was a beautiful day, and we were all drawn to the unique adobe architecture typical in Santa Fe, the soft morning light, and the vibrant color accents on each home. I chose this periwinkle doorway, both for the striking contrast against the orange pueblo and also because the Russian sage everywhere was so beautiful, and added some balance on the left hand side of the composition. We all thoroughly enjoyed the morning, even if a passing homeowner or two were disappointed that we hadn't picked their doorways to paint!

To see more of Niki Gulley's New Mexico and Southwest paintings, visit NikiGulley.com.

E-mail Niki Gulley with any questions about my plein air travel paintings.

"Oldest House in Glen Rose" by Palette Knife Artist Niki Gulley

 

 

"Oldest House in Glen Rose" ©2022 Niki Gulley

12" x 16" textured oil painting • Glenrose, TX 

Painted on location in Glen Rose, Texas with the company of my Outdoor Painters Society, I chose to paint the oldest house in town. It was so full of character and charm and I loved the big huge front porch and white-washed picket fence. The pergola welcomes you to step right in and relax on a rocking chair, visiting with neighbors and loved ones. Dramatic lighting and shadows add to the warmth of the moment.

For more information on my textured contemporary landscape paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, check out my website at: nikigulley.com.

"Going to Class" from Oxford by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

 

"Going to Class" ©2022 Niki Gulley 

9" x 12" textured oil painting

Inspired from a visit to Oxford, England, I loved the feel and energy of the old college town. We stopped in our tracks one day as we were passing in front of this Ivy covered wall, almost engulfing the massive hand-carved wooden door. Golden light was raking across the scene, beckoning you to take a look and go inside. The fact that the bike was parked right there, made it the perfect photo opp and later in the studio, the perfect painting subject.

E-mail Niki Gulley with any questions about my palette knife travel paintings.

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