Month: June 2010

Azure Dreams oil painting

June 30, 2010

“Azure Dreams” ©2010 Niki Gulley
30” x 40” oil painting

When I painted Azure Dreams, I wanted you to feel like you’d just stepped into a fairytale. Loosely based on the castles and gardens we visited in England, I was awestruck by the size, scope and lushness of their gorgeous gardens – something I can’t achieve in my own wilting backyard in Texas thanks to our heat and drought. So with hope and longing, I painted this idyllic lily pond that you can escape to, enjoy the cool spring air and get lost in the beauty of this tranquil place.

Transitional Tones IV

June 28, 2010

“Transitional Tones IV” ©2010 Niki Gulley
12” x 12” oil painting

I created these aspen trees with palette knife and extremely thick oil paint to achieve texture and dimension. I love how the bright colors pop and brighten up any room, and how the strokes contain so much movement and energy. The image is painted around the sides of the 1.5 inch deep gallery wrap canvas so that it looks three-dimensional and can be hung as is without a frame for a contemporary look. These chunky aspen paintings look great in pairs or threes.

See NikiGulley.com/?page_id=229 for companion paintings.

Transitional Tones III

June 25, 2010
“Transitional Tones III” ©2010 Niki Gulley
12” x 12” oil painting

I created these aspen trees with palette knife and extremely thick oil paint to achieve texture and dimension. I love how the bright colors pop and brighten up any room, and how the strokes contain so much movement and energy. The image is painted around the sides of the 1.5 inch deep gallery wrap canvas so that it looks three-dimensional and can be hung as is without a frame for a contemporary look. These chunky aspen paintings look great in pairs or threes.

See NikiGulley.com/?page_id=229 for companion paintings or visit my art booth at the Fountain Square Art Festival this weekend in Evanston, IL to see more of my textured palette knife paintings in person. For details on the show, go to chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=123.

Fountain Square Art Festival this weekend

June 23, 2010

“Spinning through Time” ©2010 Niki Gulley
36″ x 60″ oil on canvas
In “Spinning through Time,” I wanted you to escape from the heat of summer and life’s day to day responsibilities and enjoy a peaceful lake retreat. I purposely chose cool colors to add to this feeling of tranquility and I liked how the arrangement of the trees framed the lake in almost a circular pattern, suggesting the cyclical flow of nature. Soothing waters and being immersed in natural surroundings can have such a cathartic effect, and I hope you experience that relaxing moment in “Spinning through Time.”
I’ll be exhibiting this painting and several of my other new chunky oil paintings at Evanston’s Fountain Square Art Festival this weekend. If you’re in the Chicago area, I hope you can stop by the show. For more information, see chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=123.
Or, e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com with any questions.

Fountain Square Art Festival – Evanston, IL – this weekend

June 21, 2010


“Transitional Tones II” ©2010 Niki Gulley
12” x 12” oil painting

I created these birch trees with palette knife and extremely thick oil paint to achieve texture and suggest the energy found in nature. The image is painted around the sides of the 1.5 inch deep gallery wrap canvas so that it looks three-dimensional and can be hung as is without a frame for a contemporary look. These chunky birch paintings look great in pairs and threes.

See NikiGulley.com/?page_id=229 for companion paintings or visit my art booth at the Fountain Square Art Festival this weekend in Evanston, IL to see more of my textured palette knife paintings in person. For details on the show, go to chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=123.
Or, e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com with any questions or comments.

Transitional Tones at Stone Arch Art Festival, MN

June 18, 2010

“Transitional Tones” ©2010 Niki Gulley
12” x 12” oil painting

I created these birch trees with palette knife and extremely thick oil paint to achieve texture and suggest the energy found in nature. The image is painted around the sides of the 1.5 inch deep gallery wrap canvas so that it looks three-dimensional and can be hung as is without a frame for a contemporary look. These chunky birch paintings look great in pairs and threes.

See NikiGulley.com/?page_id=229 for companion paintings or visit my art booth at the Stone Arch Art Festival in Minneapolis this weekend to see more of my textured palette knife paintings in person. For details, go to StoneArchFestival.com.

Or, e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com with any questions or comments.

Stone Arch Art Festival – this weekend

June 16, 2010

“Natural Rhythms” ©2010 Niki Gulley
36″ x 48″ oil painting

I find being immersed in nature can have such an uplifting effect, and I wanted to share that feeling with you in Natural Rhythms so I chose pure, intense colors to create a vibrant autumn scene that just makes you feel happy and alive when you look at it. The repetition in the birch trunks and fallen leaves, combined with the flickering sounds of the breeze rustling the foliage reminded me of a symphony in the forest so I titled this painting Natural Rhythms.

If you’re in the Minneapolis area this weekend, visit my art booth at the Stone Arch Art Festival. See StoneArchFestival.com for details on the art show.

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

Zen Garden oil painting

June 14, 2010

“Zen Garden” ©2010 Niki Gulley
10″ x 8″ oil painting
Having grown up in Chicago, this painting is inspired by the Japanese Garden at the Chicago Botanic Gardens since I’ve always loved their grounds ever since I was a little kid. In fact, I painted this piece from a photo I took in high school and have held onto all of these years! I thought it would be fun to paint the scene in thick oil with palette knives. I especially like how the broken color strokes on the water make it look like its surface is shimmering in the sun.
To purchase Zen Garden, e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com.
Or, if you’re in the Chicago area, stop by my booth at Evanston’s Fountain Square Art Festival June 26th & 27th,

Nightfall III, Chicago pastel

June 11, 2010

“Nightfall III,” Chicago ©2010 Niki Gulley
10″ x 8″ pastel
In contrast to the ghost town downtown Dallas can sometimes be at night, I love the energy pulsing through downtown Chicago, especially near Michigan Avenue. Besides the excitement in all of the activity, I like how everything is illuminated and the way the lights sparkle. In Nightfall III, I wanted to contrast the deep purple I saw in the John Hancock building against the glowing Water Tower in front of it, and am pleased with the dreamy effect.
To view this pastel in person, visit my booth at the Wells Street Art Show in Chicago this weekend. See chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=141 for more information.
Or, e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com.

Nightfall II, Chicago pastel

June 9, 2010

“Nightfall II,” Chicago ©2010 Niki Gulley
10″ x 8″ pastel
I wanted to paint a Chicago landmark in a unique way, so I chose this photo of mine to work from of Buckingham Fountain at night. I love how the lights after dark create a dreamy, romantic feel to most scenes, especially when reflecting on water. I remember hearing the symphony in the background synchronizing with the lights on the fountain and creating such a magical night.
To purchase this painting, e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com.
Or, stop by my booth at the Wells Street Art Show in Chicago this weekend to see it in person, chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=141.