Deadline this week for Venice Art Trek

“Dreamlike Journey,” Venice, Italy ©2012 Niki Gulley

12” x 9” pastel

I created this pastel during a workshop my husband and I taught in Venice. We love the city, and there is so much inspiration there between the art, architecture, canals and magical light that it's really hard to narrow down what to paint! On this day, we decided to stick with a classic view of the canals. I like the way light peeks through the narrow passageway and leads your eye from building to building, and the gondola that happened into the scene created the perfect finishing detail.

If you’d also like to experience the beauty, history and culture of Venice, join me and my husband / travel photographer, Scott Williams, for our Plein Air Painting and Photography Art Trek to Venice during Carnivalé, Feb. 2-9. Our unique Art Treks afford you the option to choose which aspects interest you, whether it is painting, photography, both or neither, thereby giving you an opportunity to make the most of your experience. Our trips are designed to hone your skills and expand your creativity, all while you further your artistic voice and immerse yourself in the region's culture and lifestyle. Non-participating partners are encouraged to join us for a reduced price, and we'll help with travel arrangements, tours, transportation, etc. while we're painting and photographing.

Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop

Carnivalé - Venice, Italy

Feb. 2-9, 2013

Taught by Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

Final Registration deadline: Nov. 18

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

NikiGulley.com

Day 3 Tuscany Art Trek, Siena

"Doorway to the Past," Siena, Italy ©2012 Niki Gulley

10" x 8" pastel

Day 3, Siena - Tuscany Art Trek

On the third day of our Tuscany Art Trek, we visited the ancient walled hill town of Siena. With an incredible marbled cathedral, a massive town square where they run the Palio, a world famous horse race, and a fascinating labyrinth of cobblestone streets with a treasure around every corner, there was something for everyone to see. We made a leisurely day of sightseeing and people watching in true Italian style, and that evening treated ourselves to a delicious dinner in town.

If you'd like to see "Doorway to the Past" and more of my travel plein-air paintings, please stop by my booth at the Cottonwood Art Festival this weekend, Oct. 6th and 7th, from 10am - 6pm. Visit cottonwoodartfestival.com for details.

Enjoying a fabulous dinner in Pienza.

If you'd like to join us for next year's Art Trek to Venice in February, Greece in May, Tuscany in September or Cinque Terre / Lake Como in September, please visit NikiGulley.com/Artreks for more information. Workshops fill up quickly, so please let us know if you are interested. The early deadline and to receive a $500 savings for the Venice workshop is less than a month away.

If you have questions about the Art Treks workshops or are interested in purchasing any of my plein air paintings, please e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com.

***

US Classes and Workshops - nikigulley.com/art-classes.

Travel Art Treks and Plein Air Workshops - nikigulley.com/artreks/

Available Paintings - NikiGulley.com







______________________

Discover Plein Air Art,Plein Air Paintings, Contemporary Seascape Paintings, Contemporary Landscape Paintings, Plein Air Oil Paintings,Watercolor Paintings and Acrylic Paintings as International Artists post daily their newest artwork. Sign up to receive free our daily posts of Plein Air Art in your email. Fill in your email in the left column where it says FOLLOW US!.

Painting in Montepulciano with Niki Gulley

12x9 textured oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 2, Montepulciano - Tuscany Art Trek

With a little more time before our afternoon winery tour, we decided to work on another painting. I chose this view of the tile rooftops below spreading out in front of the valley. I loved the puzzle piece feel of the buildings, zigzagging in all different directions, clinging to the steep drop below with the fields of crops also adding their criss crossing patterns to the jigsaw puzzle.

If you'd like to join us for next year's Art Trek to Venice in February, Greece in May, Tuscany in September or Cinque Terre / Lake Como in September, please visit NikiGulley.com/Artreks for more information. Workshops fill up quickly, so please let us know if you are interested. The early deadline and to receive a $500 savings for the Venice workshop is less than a month away.

If you have questions about the Art Treks workshops or are interested in purchasing any of my plein air paintings, please e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com.

***

US Classes and Workshops - nikigulley.com/art-classes.

Travel Art Treks and Plein Air Workshops - nikigulley.com/artreks/

Available Paintings - NikiGulley.com

Santa Fe Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams, Day 3

SANTA FE ART TREK:  Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams  

Day 3, afternoon location - Rancho de Chimayo

7" x 5" oil by Niki Gulley

After a delicious Mexican lunch at Rancho de Taos, we took the scenic High Road to Taos south towards Chimayo, fueled and ready to paint another important New Mexico landmark. This afternoon, most everyone chose to come in close on El Santuario de Chimayo and focus on details and angles over the whole scene. I chose this viewpoint of the bell towers, while several of my students created lovely paintings of the gate, as pictured below. We ended the day with an incredible meal and satisfying sangria at Rancho de Chimayo, enjoying the cool evening on the patio and the company of new friends.

Visit nikigulley.com/artreks/ for upcoming Art Treks and Workshops or 

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

For new classes and workshops in Texas this fall, see nikigulley.com/art-classes.

***

NikiGulley.com







______________________

Discover Plein Air Art,Plein Air Paintings, Contemporary Seascape Paintings, Contemporary Landscape Paintings, Plein Air Oil Paintings,Watercolor Paintings and Acrylic Paintings as International Artists post daily their newest artwork. Sign up to receive free our daily posts of Plein Air Art in your email. Fill in your email in the left column where it says FOLLOW US!.

Santa Fe ART TREK - one week away!

"Echo Park," Santa Fe, NM ©2012 Niki Gulley

9" x 12" oil on board

Santa Fe is the muse of many famous artists and photographers, and that could be you, too! Join us for our Plein-Air Painting and Photography Workshop this August in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We will transport you to different picturesque locations, where you will be painting and (or) photographing scenes that inspired Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams. Santa Fe offers breathtaking vistas; sunny, dry weather, world class restaurants, galleries and shopping ensconced in a charming, 400 year old Spanish Colonial city that welcomes the new and exciting and never grows old. This is a not to be missed workshop in “The Land of Enchantment.” 

Santa Fe Art Trek
Plein Air Painting and/or photography workshop taught by Scott Williams and Niki Gulley
Santa Fe, New Mexico
August 12 -18, 2012
See nikigulley.com/art-classes for more details 
or e-mail Niki Gulley with any questions and to register.

Above: Students painting at Echo Park last year.

***
To see more of Niki Gulley's contemporary landscape paintings, visit NikiGulley.com.

http://issuu.com/cfai.co/docs/visual_language_vol_1_no__6_ll





----

Discover Plein Air Art,Plein Air Paintings, Contemporary Seascape Paintings, Contemporary Landscape Paintings, Plein Air Oil Paintings,Watercolor Paintings and Acrylic Paintings as International Artists post daily their newest artwork. Sign up to receive free our daily posts of Plein Air Art in your email. Fill in your email in the left column where it says FOLLOW US!.

Art Trek Paris - Day 6, Monet's Gardens

Monet's Gardens, Giverny, France • 9" x 12" oil painting by Niki Gulley

Day 6 - Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

On Day 6, we woke up early to get to Monet's Gardens in Giverny to capture the early morning light. The gardens were amazing – preserved just like in his paintings! We reached the far side of his beautiful pond and quickly painted the water lilies and famous bridge, putting our contemporary spin on impressionism.

***

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 impressionistic landscape paintings, please go to my website at NikiGulley.com.

Discover Plein Air Art,Plein Air Paintings, Contemporary Seascape Paintings, Contemporary Landscape Paintings, Plein Air Oil Paintings,Watercolor Paintings and Acrylic Paintings as International Artists post daily their newest artwork. Sign up to receive free our daily posts of Plein Air Art in your email. Fill in your email in the left column where it says FOLLOW US!.

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!

***

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.

Discover Plein Air Art,Plein Air Paintings, Contemporary Seascape Paintings, Contemporary Landscape Paintings, Plein Air Oil Paintings,Watercolor Paintings and Acrylic Paintings as International Artists post daily their newest artwork. Sign up to receive free our daily posts of Plein Air Art in your email. Fill in your email in the left column where it says FOLLOW US!.

Day 2 - Paris Art Trek with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

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

Day 2 - Art Trek Paris with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

On day 2 of our plein-air painting and photography workshop in Paris, we led our group to Notre Dame Cathedral, known for its flying buttress and gargoyles overlooking the city. Since our group had never been before, they visited inside the church and hiked up to the clock tower for amazing views of the city, while I kept everyone's gear down below. I found a nice, quiet bench and had enough time to paint this view of the backside of the cathedral until everyone finished touring. The church is so complex, I focused in on this view of the nave with it's stained glass windows and the tops of a couple of the flying buttress to simplify the scene for an 8x10 canvas.

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.

Discover Plein Air Art,Plein Air Paintings, Contemporary Seascape Paintings, Contemporary Landscape Paintings, Plein Air Oil Paintings,Watercolor Paintings and Acrylic Paintings as International Artists post daily their newest artwork. Sign up to receive free our daily posts of Plein Air Art in your email. Fill in your email in the left column where it says FOLLOW US!.

Lake Como Art Trek with Niki Gulley & Scott Williams

"Bellagio," Lake Como, Italy ©2012 Niki Gulley

SOLD • pastel 8" x 10"

Lake Como, Italy is probably my favorite spot from all of our travels. The vistas are simply breathtaking with the alps in the background, the gorgeous blue of the lake, the brightly painted buildings and the lush foliage dotting the magnificent gardens. I liked how the flowers framing this view of Bellagio mimicked the hues of the town's architecture and added a colorful contrast to the blues of the lake and distant mountains.

If you'd like to join us in Cinque Terre and Lake Como, Italy this Sept. 8th - 16th for our next Plein-Air Painting / Photography Workshop, e-mail Niki Gulley for more information or visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=1420. If you sign up by Jan. 13th, you'll save $500 off the cost of the trip!

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

Painting at the Dallas Arboretum with Niki Gulley

"Golden Moment," Dallas Arboretum ©2011 Niki Gulley

pastel on board • 10" x 19"

The Dallas Arboretum is one of my favorite spots in the metroplex to paint, and last fall it was ablaze with color. I love being there late in the day when the crowds have thinned and the light is softer. In this pastel, I wanted to capture the intense fall foliage and the dramatic purple shadows cast by those trees along this path, which beckons you to wander down it.

***

     Join us Oct. 29th and 30th at the Arboretum and White Rock Lake if you'd like to experience nature first hand while improving your painting skills. Even though working in your home or studio might feel quite comfortable, there's nothing like painting the subject that is in front of you. The sights, sounds, and smells of your surroundings actually go into your work!

     Capturing the light quickly adds to the excitement and spontaneity of your final piece, while observing values from life will take your painting to a whole new level. Often times don't you wonder when you look back through your photos, "What was I thinking when I took this one?" When you paint en plein air, you'll be able to capture the scene accurately and the magic in that moment, versus being disappointed with your photos. Also, training your eye to see light and shadow accurately on location, will greatly help your studio work by learning to correct what you are seeing in your photos. With only a couple of spots left, I hope you can join us next weekend for this exciting workshop!

Visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=13, which tells you about my upcoming Painting Workshop at the Dallas Arboretum and White Rock Lake, Oct. 29th and 30th. Space if filling up quickly, so e-mail Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information and to register.

***

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 European Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshops.

***

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

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

Discover Plein Air Art,Plein Air Paintings, Contemporary Seascape Paintings, Contemporary Landscape Paintings, Plein Air Oil Paintings,Watercolor Paintings and Acrylic Paintings as International Artists post daily their newest artwork. Sign up to receive free our daily posts of Plein Air Art in your email. Fill in your email in the left column where it says FOLLOW US!.