"Building on the Past," Cinque Terre, Italy ©2014 Niki Gulley 40" x 30" oil painting on wrap around canvas Last year on our Cinque Terre Art Trek, we set up our easels in Riomaggiore and I tried to capture the intricate puzzle of stacked houses precariously balanced one on top of each other lining this cliffside. The engineering feat to build them fascinates me, and I love their bright hues contrasted against the Mediterranean's blues. I wonder what it's like to live there, to see that gorgeous ocean view out your window everyday and on the flip side, trying to navigate all of the uneven steep steps with groceries and daily tasks. Once back in my studio, I took my plein air sketch and photos and created this larger version of Riomaggiore in all of its colorful glory. I hope you can still hear the cathartic sounds of the waves crashing against the rocky shore and the joy of being on vacation in such a beautiful, uplifting place. ...
Deep in the Heart of Texas you can find a vast array of hidden artists from the valley to the plains, to the deep woods in east Texas...to the Gulf and back to the heart of our state in central Texas. art, paintings, oil paintings, watercolor paintings, acrylic, Texas longhorns, horse art, landscapes, flower art, contemporary art, mixed medium, palette knife painting, collages