Fire and Gold oil painting

“Fire and Gold” ©2010 Niki Gulley
oil on canvas • 36″ x 48″

I used to love it as a kid when my parents would take me to the forest preserves near our home outside of Chicago. We would spend the whole day bike riding, picnicking and being immersed in nature and I relished this time with my family. In Fire and Gold I wanted to recreate those warm memories, choosing reds and yellows of autumn to heighten those happy feelings and using energetic strokes with my paint reminiscent of a carefree, simpler time.

Muted Hues

“Muted Hues” ©2009 Niki Gulley
36″ x 36″ oil on canvas

I paint a lot of bold fall foliage scenes from Colorado and farther north, but I wanted this painting to have a more peaceful feel so I used much softer, more muted color palette to add to that mood. For more information on Muted Hues, e-mail me at niki@nikigulley.com. or you can see this painting hanging at the Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas.

Harmonious Hues

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“Harmonious Hues” series by Niki Gulley
oils on canvas • 12″ x 12″

I am really excited about the new paintings I’ve been creating for the Cottonwood Art Festival. I started playing around with thick oil paint and lots of texture early last spring, and the positive response to this new style has been incredible!

Here are a couple of my new seasonal foliage paintings. I love the peeling, knobby bark of the birch trunks, and I feel like I can really recreate that sense of texture by working with thick oil paint and palette knives. I hope you can stop by the Cottonwood Art Festival in Dallas Oct. 3rd & 4th to view them in person, since it’s hard to see their dimension on the computer screen. Each oil painting is 12″ x 12″ and they look great in pairs or threes. I’d love to hear your feedback!