Snowfall Comes Early oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Snowfall Comes Early” ©2011 Niki Gulley

Oil painting • 24” x 12”

On our drive from Durango to Aspen, Colorado, as we rounded the last switchback near the summit north of Durango, we were greeted by these brilliant orange aspen trees and awestruck by their rare, unusual coloring. With the sun shining intensely, the contrast between the vibrant tangerine foliage, the cobalt blue sky, and the pristine white snow was absolutely breathtaking.

For more information on this painting, e-mail Niki Gulley or to see more of my artwork, visit NikiGulley.com.

Winter Birch trees oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Climbing Trees IV” ©2011 Niki Gulley

40” x 30” oil on canvas

Growing up in the midwest, I loved the first snowfall of the year when everything would get a beautiful dusting of pristine white powder, including even the tiniest of branches in the treetops above. If you caught that moment early enough in the morning before anything had disturbed the intricate frosted web, it was just magical. I wanted to capture that brief beautiful moment in "Climbing Trees" when the sunlight dances through the icing on the treetops and you can feel yourself looking up in wonderment just like you did when you were a kid. Using extremely thick oil paint and palette knives allowed me to recreate the various textures of the birches and ice-encrusted branches.

For information on this birch tree painting,

e-mail Niki Gulley or to see more of my three-dimensional oil paintings,

go to NikiGulley.com.

New Winter Landscape Pastel by Niki Gulley

"Frosted Shadows" ©2011 Niki Gulley

pastel • 19" x 25"

I love how beautiful the landscape is after first snowfall and when the sun starts to illuminate the tiny frosted crystals making everything sparkle with light. That perfect hour before civilization stirs and traffic turns the pristine white into dingy grey or the sun's heat begins to melt the frosting on the delicate tree limbs. In Frosted Shadows, I want you to experience that evanescent moment when beautiful, vibrant colors are reflected everywhere from the lengthy shadows on the ground to the diamond-like icicle web above.

To see more of my pastels and oil paintings, visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

Or, e-mail Niki Gulley with any questions.