contemporary landscape painting

New “Oak Alley” Palette Knife Painting by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

February 13, 2017

16″ x 20″ textured oil painting

I painted this colorful oak lined alleyway a couple of weeks ago on location at the Fort Worth Stock Yards. I was attracted to the contrast of light and shadows and the way the oaks lined up to lead you down this dappled path into the background Spanish archway, which was illuminated in glowing whites and yellows by the sun. The colors were duller than this and I wanted a warmer feeling to the scene since it was a chilly morning, so I enhanced the hues to create an uplifting backdrop full of color and energy. Utilizing thick paint and palette knife, I also created a lot of texture and movement with my strokes to add to the joyful feeling of painting on this beautiful morning.

For more information on my textured contemporary landscape paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, check out my website at: nikigulley.com.

Winter Aspen Tree Palette Knife Painting by Niki Gulley

January 25, 2017

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. Then the sun would start rising and peeking through the limbs, and everything would sparkle like diamonds. In Climbing Trees, I wanted to capture that beautiful moment 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.

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E-mail – Niki Gulley for more information on Climbing Trees.

To see more of Niki Gulley’s Palette knife birch and aspen tree paintings, please visit nikigulley.com.

Watercolor Home Portrait by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

January 4, 2017

I was commissioned to paint this watercolor home portrait as a Christmas gift for one of my collectors. I hope it brings back fond memories!

To see more of Niki Gulley’s contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings please check out NikiGulley.com,

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on painting commissions.

“Looking Up” New Red Barn oil painting by Niki Gulley

November 14, 2016

SOLD • 18″ x 24” textured oil painting

Recently sold! Full of fun and whimsy, I not only wanted to show the personality of this red barn but also make you feel like a kid again, climbing trees, swinging from their branches and returning to a simpler time in your childhood. Hinting that the barn has humanlike features, I feel like it, too, is inviting you to come play inside. Using vivid colors, distorted perspective and energetic thick oil paint strokes, I hope “Looking Up” brings joy to your home and reminds you of the simpler pleasures when you were a kid.

For more information on my textured palette knife oil paintings, please e-mail me at Niki Gulley.

Or, please visit my website at NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape paintings.

“Natural Textures” Abstracted Aspen Tree palette knife painting by Niki Gulley

October 31, 2016

SOLD • 24″ x 36″ textured oil painting on wrap around canvas

Just Sold! In this painting I wanted the focus to be on texture. Usually I paint with a lot of color, but I opted to use a limited palette on this piece to really concentrate on the peeling bark of the aspen trees. Bordering on the edge of abstraction and the cusp of realism, Natural Textures is loaded with layers and layers of paint, built up with thin glazes and then palette knife to create extreme dimension. Choosing to come in extremely close on the subject, I played around with various strokes and paint thicknesses to add depth and energy. At the end, I had to throw in a few of my signature strokes of color – a splash of gold, some touches of lavender, and just a dab of fire-engine red for added excitement and unexpected color twists.

To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, please visit nikigulley.com.

For more information on my palette knife birch and aspen tree paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Just Sold – “Creating Memories” Palette Knife Oil Painting of Venice, Italy by Niki Gulley

July 25, 2016

SOLD • 24″ x 36″ • textured oil painting

Inspired
from our first trip to Italy, I fell in love with everything about
Venice. The city feels preserved in time with all transportation
happening on water versus roads. The architecture, art, history, and
people are all fascinating, the food and wine delicious, and it was such
a romantic place to visit. So in this painting, I captured a lone
gondola to convey that feeling of lazily drifting along with your loved
one down this brick canal filled with history and future memories.

If you have any questions, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

To see more of Niki Gulley’s contemporary landscape paintings, visit NikiGulley.com.

“Bend Ahead” – New Colorado Aspen Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

July 6, 2016

24” x 18″ textured oil painting

Inspired by a trip to Colorado in the fall, trying to catch the beautiful autumn aspens leaves before they dropped, we just caught the last glimpse of color before an early snowfall hit. The combination of golden leaves set against the vivid blue sky, and the cool snow shadows contrasted against glowing light highlights as the sun cast its warming rays, was a symphony to the eye! I hope you, too, can slow down and enjoy the beautiful scenery on this winding journey.

For more information on my textured palette knife oil paintings, please e-mail me at Niki Gulley.

Or, please visit my website at NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape paintings.

“Bend Ahead” – New Colorado Aspen Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

July 6, 2016

24” x 18″ textured oil painting

For more information on my textured palette knife oil paintings, please e-mail me at Niki Gulley.

Or, please visit my website at NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape paintings.

New “Harmonic Hues” – Aspen Tree oil painting by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

June 17, 2016

I love painting aspen trees and I usually work with a more primary color palette, but in this painting, I wanted to convey a quieter, more peaceful mood. Opting for calming grey greens, soft golds and reds with hints of teal, Harmonic Hues reminds me of the serenity I feel while walking through the forest on a cool autumn day, being totally immersed in nature, not a care in the world. I hope you are transported, too!

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my birch and aspen tree oil paintings.

Or, visit www.NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape paintings.

“Aqua Dreams” Palette Knife Oil Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

May 25, 2016

36” x 60” textured oil on canvas

When we arrived at this tranquil spot, the early morning light was very cool in color, but as the sun began to rise from the horizon, it shone this beautiful warm light that shimmered on the water’s surface and cast its hope of what was to come from the brand new day. I remember the peacefulness I felt in that moment, and a sense that anything was possible. In Aqua Dreams, by showing the contrast in the cool aqua/blues in the foreground waters against the warm golden glow on the distant pond’s edge, I wanted to share that feeling of hope and promise communicated by nature.

To see more of my aspen and birch tree paintings, please visit nikigulley.com.

E-mail – Niki Gulley