“Lucky’s Cafe” by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley



“Lucky’s Cafe,” Dallas, Texas © 2017 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 11″ x 14″ oil painting

Just Sold! Friends sit and gaze at the mass of beauty and indecision that is the menu. The fear of missing out on any number of delectable dishes makes it nearly impossible to chose. Their eyes waver between the menu in their hands and the massive chalk board that dominates the far wall. Mom’s meatloaf? Good Luck Reuben? And who could pass up the Sleaziest, Cheesiest, Grilled Cheese in Town? But, then, it is found: Chicken Fried Steak, a delicious staple of home-style comfort food.
 
Every once and a while, it’s nice to share a little home-town spirit. Coming from Dallas, I thought it would be nice to capture a local favorite, Lucky’s Cafe, on Oaklawn Ave. Even outside, you can feel the energy that emanates from within and cuts through the heavy blanket of night. 
 
E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information about my contemporary impressionistic oil paintings, or check out my website at:
 
 

“Blind Light” Dallas pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

Blind Light, Dallas West End – pastel – 12″ x 18″
© Niki GulleyAnother one of my adventures to the Dallas West End brought me to  this scene.  The light patterns and the lone guy walking away drew me in.  I really like the way the colors fade in the distance.  The leading lines put you right on the street.

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information about “Blind Light”
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Please visit my website at NikiGulley.com  to see more of my pastels and oil paintings of contemporary art.  Or plan to attend this upcoming tour:
White Rock Artists Studio Tour
Sat. Oct. 11 • 10am – 5pm
Sun. Oct. 12 • 10am – 5pm

 

“Shift Change” Dallas Landry’s Seafood, pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

“Shift Change, Dallas West End – Pastel 12″X18”
© Niki Gulley

Lights glitter from their hiding places, nestled among the branches, mimicking the gleam of the stars high overhead. The wait staff gather outside, savoring the cool air, their work for the day done. Having left the fast paced world inside of Landry’s, they take a moment, and a breath, unwinding with a chat.

The pastels in this piece help the light bleed into the dark, capturing well the inviting warmth of Landry’s Seafood. In this scene we get to a changing of the guard, one no less important than any other. The lines guide you in, much like the pedestrians wandering into the scene.

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information about “Shift Change”.

***

Please visit my website at NikiGulley.com  to see more of my pastels and oil paintings of contemporary art.

Or plan to attend this upcoming tour:

White Rock Artists Studio Tour

Sat. Oct. 11 • 10am – 5pm

Sun. Oct. 12 • 10am – 5pm

WhiteRockArtists.com

 

 

“Lucky’s Cafe”, a long time Dallas diner, pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

“Lucky’s Cafe” Dallas, TX – pastel 12″X18″
© Niki Gulley
Friends sit and gaze at the mass of beauty and indecision that is the menu. The fear of missing out on any number of delectable dishes makes it nearly impossible to chose. Their eyes waver between the menu in their hands and the massive chalk board that dominates the far wall. Mom’s meatloaf? Good Luck Reuben? And who could pass up the Sleaziest, Cheesiest, Grilled Cheese in Town? But, then, it is found: Chicken Fried Steak, a delicious staple of home-style comfort food.

Every once and a while, it’s nice to share a little home-town spirit. Coming from Dallas, I thought it would be nice to capture a local favorite, Lucky’s Cafe, on Oaklawn Ave. Even outside, you can feel the energy that emanates from within and cuts through the heavy blanket of night.

The pastels in this piece help to bring out the warmth and light that fills every corner of this treasure of Dallas.  A very quaint piece.
E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information about “Lucky’s Cafe”
***
Please visit my website at NikiGulley.com  to see more of my pastels and oil paintings of contemporary art.  Or plan to attend this upcoming tour:


White Rock Artists Studio Tour


Sat. Oct. 11 • 10am – 5pm


Sun. Oct. 12 • 10am – 5pm
Sat. Oct. 11 • 10am – 5pm
Sun. Oct. 12 • 10am – 5pm

Idyllic Village – New oil painting from Austria

“Idyllic Village,” Austria ©2010 Niki Gulley
8” x 10” oil painting

After teaching our plein air painting / photography workshop in Venice, my husband and I ventured north into Austria and Bavaria, the land of castles and fairytale villages. We found this sleepy little town south of Salzburg and I fell in love with its beauty and charm, and I just had to paint it!

To see “Idyllic Village” and my other recent paintings stop by my studio in Dallas as part of the White Rock Lake Artists’ Studio Tour – Saturday and Sunday. For more information on the Studio Tour, see WhiteRockArtists.com.

Or, e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

Tuscany Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop

“Chasing the Light” ©2010 Niki Gulley
8” x 10” oil painting

We just got back from teaching our plein air painting / photography workshop in Tuscany, and everyone had a fabulous time! Of course it would be hard not to when immersed in such beautiful scenery – gorgeous rolling hills that stretch for miles and mysteriously change shapes from the Tuscan sun light. I painted this piece right outside the front door of our villa, which was surrounded by amazing 360 degree views of the valleys and distant hill towns. Truly beautiful! With the constantly moving clouds causing the light to change minute to minute, our challenge was to paint the scene quickly and yet capture the mood created by the soft dramatic morning light.

If you’d like to see my recent Italian inspired landscapes, along with my students’ work, stop by my studio as part of the White Rock Artists’ Studio Tour this weekend in Dallas. WhiteRockArtists.com

If you’d like more information on our next painting / photography workshop in Greece this May or Tuscany September 2011, visit my website at

nikigulley.com/?page_id=13 for more information

or e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com.

Plein Air Painting/ Photography Workshop – Venice, Italy

12″ x 10″ oil by Niki Gulley • SOLD

I actually completed this piece in May as part of our Plein Air / Photography Workshop that my husband, Scott Williams, and I led in Venice, Italy. We had painted several other grand locations, but decided on day three to paint a more intimate vignette of the canals. Since the whole city is on water, I love how their “garage doors” are actually for thier boats! In this painting, I wanted to focus on all of the wonderful architectural textures and age of the homes as seen in the peeling stucco, crumbling bricks and weathered wood.

To view more of my paintings from Italy and see some of my students’ work from our Venice Workshop, stop by our gallery in Dallas as part of the White Rock Artists’ Studio Tour, Oct. 17th & 18th. We also still have a few places open for our next Venice Workshop in May 2010, with the deadline fast approaching. We’d love to have you join us! For more information on the workshop, visit nikigulley.com/ng2/?page_id=13

To find out more about the White Rock Artists’ Studio Tour, go to dallasartsrevue.com/WhiteRock.

To view my paintings from Italy, see nikigulley.com

or e-mail me for more information.