Artists Of Texas Contemporary Paintings and Art

12" x 9" textured oil by Niki Gulley Day 6, Pienza:   TUSCANY ART TREK Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams On the last day of our Tuscany Art Trek, we explored nearby Pienza to enjoy its picturesque alleyways and amazing views of the valleys below. Having been home to Pope Pius II, the town is filled with interesting historical sites, great shopping, delicious lunch spots and plenty of interesting corners to paint. I chose this doorway since I loved the texture of the stone walls, the potted plants around it, and the soft light raking across it. While some of our group explored Pienza, a few of the others stayed back at the villa to take a cooking class from a Tuscan mama chef. From hand rolled pici pasta, to roasted pork, to various pizzas and appetizers and finishing with a chocolate cherry ricotta torte, they shared their homemade creations with the rest of us. While they had a great time learning, we thoroughly ...

"Spring's Arrival"   ©2014   Niki Gulley 24" x 12" textured oil painting on wrap around canvas Inspired from our Art Trek to Provence, I chose to paint this stone farm house and poppy field for my palette knife demonstration for the Trinity Art Guild last week. The resulting image is loaded with thick oil paint and texture, uplifting color and energy! If you'd like to join us in Provence for our next Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop June 26th - July 4th, please let me know soon as there are only 2 spaces left! For more details,  e-mail  Niki Gulley  or go to  nikigulley.com/artreks. Upcoming Art Treks 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 Plein Air Painting / Photography...

"Welcome Home," Tuscany   ©2014   Niki Gulley 12" x 9" textured oil painting On the last day of our Tuscany Art Trek in September, we explored the nearby hill town of Pienza to enjoy its picturesque alleyways and amazing views of the valleys below. Having been home to Pope Pius II, the town is filled with interesting historical sites, great shopping, delicious lunch spots and plenty of interesting corners to paint. I chose this doorway since I loved the texture of the stone walls, the potted plants around it, and the soft light raking across it. That afternoon we gathered back at the villa for a slide show from our photographers of the trip and to see the paintings we completed, accompanied by a little wine and Italian treats. That night we enjoyed a beautiful Terrace view over dinner with amazing food and new friends. A perfect end to a perfect week! We were sad to see the week end. If you'd like to join us in Tuscany for our...

12" x 9" textured oil by Niki Gulley Day 6, Pienza:   TUSCANY ART TREK Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams On the last day of our Tuscany Art Trek, we explored nearby Pienza to enjoy its picturesque alleyways and amazing views of the valleys below. Having been home to Pope Pius II, the town is filled with interesting historical sites, great shopping, delicious lunch spots and plenty of interesting corners to paint. I chose this doorway since I loved the texture of the stone walls, the potted plants around it, and the soft light raking across it. That afternoon we gathered back at the villa for a slide from our photographers of the trip and to see the paintings we completed, accompanied by a little wine and Italian treats. That night we enjoyed a beautiful Terrace view over dinner with amazing food and new friends. A perfect end to a perfect week! We were sad to see the night end. If you'd li...

9x12 oil painting by Niki Gullley Plein Air Painting & Photography Workshop in Santa Fe, NM Day 1, morning location: Echo Canyon We just got back from our week long workshop we taught in Santa Fe, NM, and what a beautiful week we had! While near 90 degrees, it sure beat our 100s here in Texas, and we avoided the humidity. We lucked out all week, and it never rained while we were painting. Most everyone in the group was either new to painting or it was their first time to sketch outdoors on location, and they did great! While our group was a little nervous the first day, I started them out with an oil demo so everyone could see how easy it is to jump in and just get something down on their blank canvas. I chose this close-up view of the cliffs because the rock formations were so unusual, and the light hitting them was beautiful. Working only 9x12 and with a quick half hour demo, I wanted to keep the scene as simple as possible. Blocking in cool, transparent purples and blues ...