Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley Paints the Italian Riviera

 

Corniglia ©2025 Niki Gulley

SOLD • 9" x 12" Textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

My husband  and I are so excited to be leading an Art Trek (i.e. a plein air painting and photography workshop) to Cinque Terre, Italy next year. This string of 5 centuries-old seaside villages line the Italian Riviera coastline, dotted by colorful houses and vineyards that cling to steep cliffs. The harbors are filled with fishing boats and restaurants that serve the freshest seafood specialties along with delicious pesto pasta. An awe-inspiring hiking trail links the villages and offers sweeping sea vistas.  So, today I set up along that trail with my easel to capture this beautiful view the picturesque hill town, Corniglia, perched high about the cove.

Voluminous clouds danced by as peaceful waters lapped along the shore. Sprinkle in some vibrant wildflowers and this made for a perfect, uplifting, serene afternoon! May you enjoy the escape with me!

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For more details on my other European paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, check out my website at nikigulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

***

If you'd like to join us on one of our fun-filled upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

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 Cinque Terre with Artist Niki Gulley

 

  

Vernazza ©2026 Niki Gulley

9" x 12" Textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

After my husband, Scott Williams, and I completed our research for our Art Trek we'll be leading next year to Cinque Terre, Italy, we had a little extra time to paint and photograph. So, today I set up my easel near the beautiful Vernazza harbor to capture the soft morning light. Listening to the ocean waves lapping on the shore was so cathartic and I love the colorful village across the way. If only we painted our houses that vibrantly in the U.S.! I hope you, too, are transported to this peaceful, uplifting setting.

***

For more details on my other European paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, check out my website at nikigulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

***

If you'd like to join us on one of our fun-filled upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

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.

Siena Tower Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

 

"Siena Tower" ©2026 Niki Gulley

12" x 9" textured oil painting on panel

I set up in one of the quiet cobble streets radiating out from the campo of the Medieval hill town of Siena to capture the textures of their ancient walls and this unique old clock tower. Back in my studio, I added final details and textured paint to pull the scene together and recreate the beauty and history we experienced while in this energetic city.

If you're interested in purchasing this painting, just follow this link nikigulley.com/siena-tower/.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her plein air paintings from Italy.

 NikiGulley.com

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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 2027. Please let us know if you would like to join us!

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.

Visiting Siena Italy with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams on their Tuscany Foodie Trek

 

 

"Duomo," Siena ©2026 Niki Gulley 

5" x 7" oil painting on panel

Tuscany Foodie Trek - Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Day 2:  Siena, Italy

During the Foodie Trek that my husband and I led in Tuscany, we headed to the Medieval hill town of Siena, with its incredible church, great people-watching plaza, and interesting alleyways radiating out from the Campo with something new to discover around every turn. 

While most of our group toured inside the Duomo, I chose to set up my easel and capture it's impressive facade. Beautiful pink, green, white and black marble are stacked in such intricate patterns, it's impossible to capture on a 5" x 7" canvas but I was able to at least suggest some of those colors and its scale, while showing the energy around it with people bustling in every direction.

That evening we enjoyed a delicious dinner with  pasta doing the backstroke in truffles and pecorino cream while sharing our experiences. What a fantastic day!

For more details on my other Tuscany paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, check out my website at nikigulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

***

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 2027. Please let us know if you would like to join us!

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 in Tuscany with Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

    

"Nestled in Sunshine" ©2026 Niki Gulley

16" x 20" textured acrylic painting on canvas panel 

Tuscany Foodie Trek - Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Day 5: Gardens and Hill Towns

This morning we enjoyed a stroll around a beautiful Tuscan hill town and dined at a delicious Michellin restaurant for lunch. Then we visited an operating Italian Renaissance garden. Formal and organized with clipped boxwoods and plantings in symmetrical stone urns, impressive travertine column staircases, and the largest indoor potted citrus grove in the area, it was interesting to see the contrast between an Italian garden and an American garden, and the challenges of getting irrigation to the remote property. 

For this painting, I focused on this picturesque tuscan farmhouse, nestled into the rolling hills and valleys illuminated by beautiful golden late afternoon light. Set against a majestic backdrop of mountain peaks, we were surrounded by this idyllic peaceful setting. Tuscan cypress trees and undulating olive groves, created a mesmerizing rhythm that melted away any worries. I hope you, too, are transported to this cathartic oasis!
***

For more details on my other Tuscany paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, check out my website at nikigulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

******

 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.

"Olive Grove" from Tuscany by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

  

"Olive Grove," Tuscany ©2026 Niki Gulley 

10" x 20" textured oil painting

During our Tuscany Foodie Trek, we headed to the wine town of Montalcino to sample some of Italy's world famous Brunello. On our way, we stopped at this beautiful convent with massive ancient olive trees growing on the grounds. In the distance, you can see the nearby hill town with vineyards and more olive groves lining the hillside. I wanted to capture the beauty of those regal olive trees on a beautiful sun-filled day in Tuscany.

****

E-mail Niki Gulley with any questions.

Or, to purchase "Olive Grove," click here: nikigulley.com/olive-grove/.

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

***

 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.

"Cypress Serenade" Art from the Tuscan Countryside by Niki Gulley

 

"Cypress Serenade" ©2026 Niki Gulley 

9" x 12" textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

I painted "Cypress Serenade" on location in Tuscany. I've always been attracted to this lone grouping of cypress trees and on this day the clouds in the sky were so fascinating. Hugging so close to the ground, soft and voluminous, acting as the perfect backdrop behind the cypress grove, I had to capture their drama before they disappeared. Wildflowers blooming in the foreground set the stage and I decided to have fun by repeating those colors throughout the scene, adding to the excitement and energy of the moment.

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Iceland Art Trek
August 2026
FULL

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
Sept. 2026
Only 4 Spaces Left!

Switzerland Art Trek 
August 2026

Just A Few Spots left!

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
Sept. 2027

Registration Now Open

If you'd like to join us on one of upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. 

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

***

***

Please check out my website at NikiGulley.com, NikiGulley.com to see more of my impressionistic palette knife paintings.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her contemporary Italy and European paintings.

Poppy Field in Tuscany by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

 

 

"Pops of Summer"

 20" x 10" textured acrylic painting by Niki Gulley

Day 7, Pienza:  TUSCANY FOODIE TREK

Led by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

My husband and I lead a Foodie Trek to Tuscany almost every year, and I've always been attracted to this lone grouping of cypress trees. I love trying to capture it in different ways, and mother nature had her hand in me choosing this location today. You see, there was a strong possibility of rain and this is one of the few locations I've found in the entire Tuscan countryside with a covered area that could keep me and my painting dry in the case of that liquid sunshine arriving mid-stroke. Fortunately because of the weather, the clouds in the sky were voluminous, beautiful and full of drama. Poppies blooming in the foreground just added to the excitement and energy of the moment. And, luckily I was able to capture the majority of the scene before the storms hit!

***

For more details on my other Tuscany paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, check out my website at nikigulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

 ***

Globe-Trotting Immersive Excursions for Artists, Foodies and Travelers

Led by Scott Willams and Niki Gulley

We will be returning to the gorgeous Swiss Alps in 2027. These Treks are amazing adventures to explore new cultures and be a part of what makes traveling expand your world and enrich your life. Whether you're a painter, a photographer, food lover or just want to travel in small, friendly groups, this is the trip for you. Don't miss out on this opportunity to join in the fun as our trips fill up quickly! 

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
September 26 - October 3, 2026
Only 3 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre, Italy
October 4-11, 2026
Only 4 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/cinque-terre-2026/

Spain Foodie Trek 
March 13-20, 2027
https://www.arttreks.org/spain-foodie-2024/

Switzerland Art Trek
July 26 - Aug. 2, 2027
https://www.arttreks.org/switzerland-2027/

Tuscany Foodie Trek 
Sept. 25 - Oct. 2, 2027
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2027/

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.

  

"Cypress Glory II" Palette Knife Tuscany Painting by Niki Gulley

 

"Cypress Glory II" ©2022 Niki Gulley 

SOLD • 10" x 20" textured oil painting

I absolutely love Tuscany and find inspiration everywhere I look. Tonight I set up my easel alongside the road, drawn to this long cypress driveway which I figured would be silhouetted against the setting sun. As luck would have it, mother nature provided a symphony of colors across the sky and I worked quickly to establish the beautiful, golden light that was cast across the rolling hills and stone farmhouse. I hope you, too, can enjoy the glory that is Tuscany!

***

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 a couple of spots open up for our trip this September. Please let us know if you would like to join us. Spaces fill up quickly! 

Iceland

August 3-10, 2026

Only 1 spot left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Tuscany Foodie Trek 

September 26 - October 3, 2026

Only a couple spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy
October 4-11, 2026

Only 4 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

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.

***

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.