Painting and Photographing in Santorini, Greece with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

 

Day 3, Greece Art Trek:  Santorini

9" x 12" textured acrylic painting by Niki Gulley

The next day we painted the beautiful view again from our hotel. Working with palette knife, I had so much fun capturing the craggy textures of the volcanic rocks hugging the water. The gorgeous blues and turquoises of the Aegean Sea were so relaxing and mesmerizing to gaze at! Sailboats and catamarans drifted by adding to that blissful, peaceful feeling. What a wonderful morning painting together!

Meanwhile the photographers viewed more of the town, while others relaxed at the pool at our hotel. That afternoon, we enjoyed a boat ride taking us to the surrounding islands and finishing with watching the sun drop across the sea. Just beautiful!

Enjoying the relaxing boat ride.

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If you've always dreamed of painting, photographing and sightseeing in Europe, please join us for one of these amazing Art Treks! 

Switzerland Art Trek 
July 26 – August 2, 2025
Full

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek 
September 27 - October 4, 2025
2 Spots Left!

https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2025/

Tuscany Foodie Trek 2026 
September 26 - October 3, 2026
Only 4 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy
October 4-11, 2026
Only 6 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/cinque-terre-2026/

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

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Please check out my website at NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionist paintings.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

Upcoming Paris Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

"A Day in Paris" ©2013 Niki Gulley • 5" x 7" oil painting

I love everything about Paris from the art to the architecture to the food to just watching the world go by at a sidewalk café. This little oil painting was inspired by one of our walks along the Seine. The magazine stands selling nostalgic postcards and memorabilia are just like I'd imagined, with Notre Dame and the river as the perfect romantic backdrop.

If you would like join us on our next Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop to Paris June 19-27, 2014, please check out nikigulley.com/artreks for more information. Register by Sept. 28th for a $600 savings!

Other upcoming Art Treks include:

Venice, Italy – Carnivalé – Feb. 22-Mar. 1, 2014

Paris, France – June 19-27, 2014

 Provence, France – June 26 – July 4, 2014

Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 5-13, 2014

Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy – Sept. 12-21, 2014

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E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

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

Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams - Day 5

5" x 7" pastel by Niki Gulley

Day 5 - Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Day 5, we took everyone to the Palace of Versailles, 30 minutes outside of Paris. Decadent and opulent doesn't begin to describe the castle and grounds where Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI bankrupted the country. It is really something to see! After touring the chateau, we staked out a quiet back corner of the gardens away from the tourist masses, and got out our sketchpads. This massive wisteria, the scale of a medium-szed tree caught our eye, and we had to capture its beautiful violet dripping blooms.

Part of our group in front of the Palace of Versailles.

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If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to 

Santa Fe, NM Aug. 12 - 18 (see nikigulley.com/art-classes) or

 Tuscany, Italy Aug. 31 - Sept. 8 (visit nikigulley.com/artreks),

please e-mail Niki Gulley for more information. Registration deadlines are quickly approaching. We'd love to have you join us!

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To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, please go to my website at NikiGulley.com.

Art Trek Paris w/ Niki Gulley & Scott Williams - Day 2, Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Rose Window • 10" x 8" oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 2, Afternoon - Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

After grabbing a delicious homemade crepé lunch, we staked out this quiet, picturesque view of Notre Dame along the Siene. Some painters chose to include the whole scene with river, church and boats, while myself and a couple of others selected this tighter view on just the intricate stained glass of the rose window. After painting the whites and grays of the cathedral in the morning light, I decided to have a little fun with the colors in the afternoon, after all we were in the home of French Impressionism.

Working with complimentary purples and oranges created vibrant highlights, cool shadows and contrasting colors that cause your eye to dance across the canvas.

One of our painters in front of Notre Dame.

Photo of two of us painting at Notre Dame taken by one of our budding photographers along on the trip. Pretty creative!

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If you would like to come along on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshops to 

Santa Fe, NM Aug. 12 - 18 (see nikigulley.com/art-classes) or

 Tuscany, Italy Aug. 31 - Sept. 8 (visit nikigulley.com/artreks),

please e-mail Niki Gulley for more information. Registration deadlines are quickly approaching. We'd love to have you join us!

***

To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, please go to my website at NikiGulley.com.

Tuscany Painting Workshop with Niki Gulley

"Autumn Harvest," Tuscany ©2011 Niki Gulley

pastel • 24" x 36"

I was inspired to paint this pastel of the beautiful rolling Tuscan hills and vineyards after our last Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop that my husband and I taught in Tuscany. Not only were the views amazing, but the food and the wine were absolutely delicious, too!

From our Tuscany workshop: Part of group pictured while touring this 300 year old wine cellar, always run by the same family.

If you'd like to join us Aug. 31 - Sept. 8 for our next Tuscany Plein-Air Painting & Photography Workshop, e-mail Niki Gulley for more information or visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420. Sign up by Jan. 13th for a $500 discount.

To see more of my paintings from Italy, visit NikiGulley.com.

Tuscany Plein Air Painting Workshop with Niki Gulley

“Doorway to the Past” ©2011 Niki Gulley

Pastel • 10” x 8”

From our last Tuscany workshop, we found this quiet alleyway and were immediately attracted to the unique doorways, cobblestone walkway, and stacked stone archways. The aging brick had so much character and the passageway was filled with warm light and dramatic shadows, making it a perfect afternoon painting spot.

If you'd like to join us Sept. 2-10 for our next Tuscany Plein-Air Painting & Photography Workshop, e-mail Niki Gulley for more information or visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=13. With limited space and a final registration deadline of April 9th quickly approaching, we suggest registering soon.

To see "Doorway to the Past" and more of my paintings in person, stop by my booth at Art City Austin, a premier juried outdoor art festival in Austin, TX, April 2-3. I'll be at booth #328 – on Cesar Chavez St. between San Antonio & Guadalupe Streets. Visit ArtAllianceAustin.org /art_city_austin.html for details.

NikiGulley.com

Three Days Left for Tuscany Painting Workshop w/ Niki Gulley

"View from Montepulciano" Tuscany, Italy

SOLD • 14" x 11" pastel by Niki Gulley

Join us for our next Plein-Air Painting & Photography Workshop in Tuscany, Sept. 2 -10. In addition to daily painting and/or photography excursions, there will also be day trips into the surrounding hill towns, along with winery tours, museum visits in Florence and plenty of gorgeous Italian countryside. The villa we stay at sits atop a hill with 360 degree panoramic views of the surrounding area, it has all modern convinces, plus wifi and a swimming pool. This truly is La Dolce Vita, so don’t wait until the last minute to sign up.

The early deadline for a $400 discount is just a couple days away!

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information, or visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=13.

From our last Tuscany workshop, everyone enjoying a delicious Italian dinner al fresco after a fun-filled day of painting, photographing and sightseeing in the Tuscan countryside.

NikiGulley.com

ONE WEEK TO REGISTER for September's Tuscany Workshop with Niki Gulley

"Sienna Passageway" ©2011 Niki Gulley

pastel • 10" x 8"

From our last Plein Air Painting & Photography workshop in Tuscany. Sienna is such an interesting town, with the narrow cobble streets forming a labyrinth of passageways, the energy of the people in the central square, the ancient stone architecture and unusual adornments, and the picturesque views from the rambling hillsides. We just love it!

From our last Tuscany workshop, one of my students painting with pastels.

If you'd like to join us for our next Plein-Air Painting & Photography Workshop, Sept. 2 -10, e-mail Niki Gulley for more information, or visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=13. The early deadline for a $400 discount is just a week away!

NikiGulley.com