Sept. 28th Registration Deadline for Paris Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

"Luminescent Radiance" ©2013 Niki Gulley

Two 48" x 24" canvases with one 48" x 30" canvas in the middle to form a 48" x 78" triptych

Textured oil painting on wrap around canvas

I decided it would be a fun challenge to create an extremely large painting, and I wanted the final piece to be very uplifting, colorful and full of energy. Opting for warm colors and working with extremely thick paint and palette knives, I chose this lily pond reference from our visit to Monet's Gardens in Giverny, France. The grounds were breathtaking and I could actually see his paintings come to life. I was drawn to the energetic flow and yet calming serenity in this view, and I positioned the water lilies and my paint strokes in a curving pattern to add to that mood. The morning light peeking through the distant foliage added to a sense of mystery and promise that I wanted to capture in paint, and share with you that feeling of hope.

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

Other upcoming Art Treks include:

Paris, France – June 19-27, 2014

 Provence, France – June 26 – July 4, 2014

Tuscany, Italy – Sept. 5-13, 2014

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

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Or, if you would like more information on "Luminescent Radiance" please contact my Dallas gallery, American Fine Art, americanfineart.com.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

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

Upcoming Art Trek to Paris, France with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

"Dancing on Water," Monet's Gardens, Giverny, France  ©2013 Niki Gulley

36" x 60" textured oil painting 

Sunlight sparkles across aqua blue water, diamonds of purple glitter the pond’s surface; water lilies lift their faces toward the sun and gently dance across the water.

Golden sunlight filters through the brambles and ferns, a touch of cardinal red peeks through purple and pink foliage while azure skies reflect in the water.

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If you would like join us on our next Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop to Paris June 19-27, 2014 where we will be visiting Monet's Gardens, please visit nikigulley.com/artreks for more information. Register by Sept. 28th for a $600 savings!

Other upcoming Art Treks include:

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

***

Or, if you would like more information on "Dancing on Water" please contact my Dallas gallery, American Fine Art, americanfineart.com.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

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

Texas Hill Country Bluebonnet Oil Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

"Traveling Together," Texas Hill Country ©2013 Niki Gulley

36" x 60" textured oil painting

Inspired by a trip to the hill country, I wanted you feel the warmth and beauty on this perfect spring day while out for a leisurely drive among the bluebonnets and Texas wildflowers. Painted with thick oil paint and palette knives to achieve extreme texture, the resulting image comes to life and is loaded with color, movement and energy.

"Traveling Together" and several of Niki's landscape oil paintings are available the Good Art Company Gallery in Fredericksburg, TX. For more information, please contact goodartcompany.com/gac/.

E-mail - Niki Gulley

NikiGulley.com

"Raising Sunshine" Red Barn oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Raising Sunshine” ©2013 Niki Gulley

18" x 24” textured oil painting

Full of fun and whimsy, in my next painting from this barn series, I not only wanted to show the personality of this red barn but also make you feel like a kid again, climbing trees, swinging from their branches and returning to a simpler time in your childhood. Hinting that the barn has humanlike features, I feel like it, too, is inviting you to come play inside. Using vivid colors, distorted perspective and energetic thick oil paint strokes, I hope "Raising Sunshine" brings joy to your home and reminds you of the simpler pleasures when you were a kid.

For more information on my textured palette knife oil paintings, please e-mail me at Niki Gulley.

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

"Textures of Time" New Palette Knife oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Textures of Time” ©2013 Niki Gulley

18" x 24” textured oil painting

In my next painting from this barn series, I wanted to show the personality and individuality of this red barn, since it was built by hand from nearby trees on the property by the owner's family. I almost feel like it has a playful twinkle in its windows, inviting us to come closer and check out it's hand-carved timbers and discover what stories it holds. Juxtaposed behind this sturdy oak, two enduring souls, are loaded with character, texture and rustic beauty, monuments to a simpler disappearing way of life.

For more information on my textured palette knife oil paintings, please e-mail me at Niki Gulley.

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

"Branching Out" New Textured Palette Knife Barn painting by Niki Gulley

“Branching Out” ©2013 Niki Gulley

18" x 24” textured oil painting

Having grown up in Chicago, my husband and I return to the Midwest every summer, driving through miles of farmland between Texas and Illinois. While sometimes stark, I also find a peacefulness in the wide open countryside, a nostalgic tug on a simpler time from my childhood, and a fascination with the rustic beauty of each barn. I find it inspiring that so many of the structures were built by the farmers themselves from nearby trees, cut down and fashioned by hand. Each one has its unique personality, both pragmatic and aesthetic, a symbol that's stood the test of time despite a disappearing way of life. In "Branching Out," I wanted to juxtapose this sturdy oak framing an iconic red barn in the background, inviting you to climb its branches and relive childhood memories.

For more information on my textured palette knife oil paintings, please e-mail me at Niki Gulley.

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

New Whimsical Palette Knife Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

"Soaring on a Dream," ©2013 Niki Gulley

18" x 24" textured oil painting 

I wanted this painting to be full of joy and energy, reminiscent of a simpler time. Working with palette knife, I moved thick oil paint around in long sweeping circular strokes to add to that feeling of movement and excitment, while choosing vivid primary colors to communicate a time of youth, innocence and freedom.

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

NikiGulley.com

Monet's Water Lilies triptych oil painting by Niki Gulley - Just Sold

SOLD • "Orchestrating Radiance" ©2013 Niki Gulley

Three 48" x 30" canvases to form a 48" x 90" triptych

Textured oil painting on wrap around canvases

Recently Sold! I wanted this large-scale painting to be very uplifting, colorful and full of energy. Opting for warm colors and working with extremely thick paint and palette knives, I chose this lily pond reference from our visit to Monet's Gardens in Giverny, France. The grounds were breathtaking and I could actually see his paintings come to life. I was drawn to the energetic flow and yet calming serenity in this view, and I positioned the shoreline, shadows and reflections in a curving pattern to add to that mood. Dripping willow leaves frame the foreground as water lilies skim the pond's surface. The morning light peeking through the distant foliage added to a sense of mystery and promise that I wanted to capture in paint, and share with you that feeling of hope.

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

E-mail - Niki Gulley

"15 mph" New Textured Palette Knife oil painting by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

“15mph” ©2013 Niki Gulley

18" x 24” textured oil painting

This painting is inspired from our trip to Santa Fe last summer. We were driving on the high road to Taos and we kept going over these steep hills where you couldn't see what was coming next. I loved the graphic simplicity of the views with only a sliver of the land in front of us, the vast expanse of sky with its billowing dramatic clouds, and the one lone speed limit sign warning you about the tight curves ahead. Arranging all of the elements so that they converge in the distance and create a sense of motion with curving thick paint strokes, 15 mph beckons you to motor forward and discover what is over the next bend.

For more information on my textured palette knife oil paintings, please e-mail me at Niki Gulley.

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

New Colorado Landscape Palette Knife oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Falling Rocks” ©2013 Niki Gulley

20" x 24” textured oil painting on wrap around canvas

This painting is inspired from my first trip to Colorado. I loved the majestic mountains, the meandering creeks and rushing rivers, the lush terrain and the quaking aspen trees. The ride through the mountains was thrilling, as we straddled cliff sides, our tires gripped the road through spine-tingling hairpin turns, we raced through cavernous tunnels carved through the dense rock, and jagged mountains hugged us like there was no tomorrow. And, as if the journey wasn't exciting enough, we were reminded of the  adventure that lay ahead with a new falling rocks sign every few bends!

For more information on my textured palette knife oil paintings, please e-mail me at Niki Gulley.

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

New Winter Landscape Palette Knife Oil Painting by Niki Gulley

“45 mph” ©2013 Niki Gulley

18” x 24” textured oil painting

On one of our first trips together, my husband and I drove to Colorado to capture the fall foliage, and were greeted by one of the earliest snowfalls on record. While not the golden aspen glory we expected, the pristine white of that first dusting was beautiful. I loved this scenic overlook as we rounded the corner, and as you can see there was no shoulder to pull over on to capture the scene. So quickly grabbing my camera, I snapped away as we whizzed past. In this shot, I particularly liked a sliver of the school-bus-yellow 45mph sign contrasting against the vivid azure sky and framing the right side of the composition to lead your eye back into the breathtaking drive.

For more information on my textured palette knife oil paintings, please e-mail me at Niki Gulley.

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

"Curves Ahead" New Textured Palette Knife oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Curves Ahead” ©2013 Niki Gulley

30" x 40” textured oil painting on wrap around canvas

On this trip, it felt like we were flying up and down these curvy mountain roads almost like we were on an adult roller coaster. So I wanted to have a little fun in my painting and capture that sense of movement and playful excitement. Choosing bright vivid colors an curving my strokes almost in a fish-eye composition, add to the youthful energy and thrill of adventure that I wanted to communicate.

For more information on my textured palette knife oil paintings, please e-mail me at Niki Gulley.

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

"Paved by Sunlight" Textured Oil Painting by Niki Gulley

“Paved by Sunlight" ©2013 Niki Gulley

SOLD • 30" x 40" textured oil on canvas

Just Sold! I wanted you to feel the joy and peacefulness of walking through an aspen forest on a beautiful summer day in Colorado. With soft light illuminating the walkway and the distance sparkling in golden light, the only sounds to be heard are a slight breeze flickering the leaves overhead and the serenity of being immersed in nature. What lies ahead? The mysterious glow from beyond beckons you forward.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her textured aspen and birch oil paintings.

NikiGulley.com