New "Gondola Sunrise II" by Palette Knife Artist Niki Gulley

"Gondola Sunrise II," Venice ©2023 Niki Gulley

9" x 12" textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

Venice Carnivalé Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams - Day 3

For this painting, I actually got up long before sunrise! A feat in itself! But, during Carnival in Venice it gets so crowded that I love the mornings before the crowds descend. This morning, it was just me and about 100 costumes and photographers, which is quite quiet during the celebration. 

So, I set up my easel along the lagoon off of St. Mark’s Square while it was still dark but had some ambient light from the street lamps. I squeezed out my paints by memory and began sketching the scene. By that point, first light broke in the most inspiring, brilliant colors. It was beautiful and so worth the effort! Listening to the sounds of the waves lapping against the shore and gondolas riding their rhythm was truly magical. Only in Venice! 

Then, I painted as quickly as I could, and luckily was treated to another round of glorious color when the sun finally rose. I hope you, too, can enjoy the beauty of this enchanting city.

To see more of my travel paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

Or, E-mail Niki Gulley for more details.

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

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