New 12″ x 12″ Palette Knife Aspen Tree Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

“Autumn Hues II” ©2016 Niki Gulley
12″ x 12″ oil on canvas
I painted these autumn aspen trees with palette knife and extremely thick paint. I love how the chunky paint adds to the texture of the bark and the movement in the leaves. The painting continues around the edges of the wrap around canvas for a sculptural-like frameless piece of art.
These aspens and birches look great hung alone to brighten up a little spot, or in a grouping with some of my other 12×12 trees. Hang them horizontally, vertically, on a diagonal or stacked. If interested in seeing companion pieces, please e-mail Niki Gulley for options.
To see more of my palette knife seasonal foliage paintings, please visit NikiGulley.com.

New “Kid’s Perspective” Palette Knife Aspen Tree Painting by Niki Gulley

“Kid’s Perspective” ©2016 Niki Gulley
textured oil painting on canvas • 20″ x 30″

In “Kid’s Perspective” I wanted you to feel that child-like wonder of staring up in into the treetops and heavens above. Choosing uplifting golds and soft shades of tangerine contrasted against a blue sky with gentle clouds drifting by, I’ve arranged the aspens in a circular pattern to give you a sense of laying on the ground, surrounded by the forest and to direct your eye to the focal point. Utilizing thick, curving paint strokes adds to that joyful, playful feeling of hope and discovery.

To see more of my impressionist palette knife paintings, please visit NikiGulley.com.

If you have any questions about my aspen and birch tree paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

New “Kid’s Perspective” Palette Knife Aspen Tree Painting by Niki Gulley

“Kid’s Perspective” ©2015 Niki Gulley
textured oil painting on canvas • 20″ x 30″
In “Kid’s Perspective” I wanted you to feel that child-like wonder of staring up in into the treetops and heavens above. Choosing uplifting golds and soft shades of tangerine contrasted against a blue sky with gentle clouds drifting by, I’ve arranged the aspens in a circular pattern to give you a sense of laying on the ground, surrounded by the forest and to direct your eye to the focal point. Utilizing thick, curving paint strokes adds to that joyful, playful feeling of hope and discovery.
To see more of my impressionist palette knife paintings, please visit NikiGulley.com.
If you have any questions about my aspen and birch tree paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

“Paved by Sunlight” New Aspen Painting by Niki Gulley

“Paved by Sunlight” ©2013 Niki Gulley
30″ x 40″ textured oil on canvas
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.

“Golden Transitions” textured aspen painting by Niki Gulley

“Golden Transitions” ©2012 Niki Gulley
textured oil on canvas • 36″ x 60″
In “Golden Transitions,” I wanted you to feel like you were deep in the middle of the woods surrounded by nature in all of its beautiful autumn glory. I painted these aspen trees with extremely thick oil paint so that the texture and colors leap off the canvas.


To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, visit my website at NikiGulley.com.

Or, e-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

Crystal Mill, Colorado oil painting

“Crystal Mill,” Crystal, Colorado ©2011 Niki Gulley
Oil painting • 14” x 11”

My husband and I absolutely love the scenery in Colorado, so we planned our trip to see the aspens turning color in September, and that just happened to coincide with their earliest snowfall on record! In order to capture both the beautiful foliage and the snow before it melted we hiked as quickly as we could up the mountain, and were rewarded with a gorgeous view. I chose this vantage because I liked how the aspen trees perfectly framed the mill and stream in the distance. Then, the sun emerged and made everything sparkle. The colors came alive and dramatic cool shadows were cast in the snow, and I just had to create the scene in paint.

For more information on this painting, e-mail Niki Gulley.

Last Art Show of 2010

“Skyward Bound II” ©2010 Niki Gulley • SOLD
oil on canvas • 40″ x 30″
Sold to a collector in Dallas this month – I painted these aspen trees with extremely thick paint and palette knife so that the artwork is loaded with texture and almost three-dimensional. I love the playfulness of looking up into the treetops, as did the collectors!
If you’d like information on more of my aspen tree paintings or commissioning a unique piece, e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com.
Also, I will have several pieces on display and available for sale at my Last Art Show of 2010 this weekend at the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas. See bathhousecultural.com for details.

Artists of Texas – Opening Reception Saturday

“Autumn Aspens” ©2010 Niki Gulley
12″ x 12″ oil on canvas
I painted these autumn aspen trees with palette knife and extremely thick paint. I love how the chunky paint adds to the texture of the bark and the movement in the leaves, and how the painting continues around the edges of the wrap around canvas for a sculptural-like frameless piece of art.
To see “Autumn Aspens” and more of my aspen series, stop by the Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas this Saturday for the “Artists of Texas” reception from 1-5. Myself and many of the other talented artists will be there to answer any questions and tell you about our work.
Where Texas Finds Its Color
The Artists of Texas – Second Annual State Show
Artist Reception November 6th, 1:00-5:00 pm
November 2 – December 31, 2010
The Dutch Art Gallery
10233 East Northwest Highway Suite 420
Dallas, Texas 75238

Summer Aspens oil painting


“Summer Aspens” ©2010 Niki Gulley
12″ x 12″ oil on canvas
I painted these summer aspen trees with palette knife and extremely thick paint. I love how the chunky paint adds to the texture of the bark and the movement in the leaves, and how the painting continues around the edges of the wrap around canvas for a sculptural-like frameless piece of art.

Transitional Tones IV

“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.