palette knife painting

Fall Foliage in the Smoky Mountains by Palette Knife Painter Niki Gulley

October 13, 2026

24″ x 30″ textured acrylic painting on canvas

Here is Asheville, NC in all of its peak autumn glory the last week of October. Of course, one of the challenges of plein-air painting is you never know what is going to change in the scene you are capturing. For instance, our neighbors at our campsite chose to park their black sedan right here in the middle of our picturesque view. Oh, well! The scenery beyond was still beautiful and I was able to take some photos on my camera to finish this one up at home. It also gave us a good excuse to take a scooter ride on that beautiful 70 degree day and check out the picturesque nature trails in the North Carolina Arboretum. Not a bad way to finish up our immersive autumn trip!

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

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

“Tall Trees” Contemporary Landscape Painting by Niki Gulley

October 2, 2026

24″ x 18″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

A break in the drizzle in Woodstock, Vermont! And, a chance to paint again. Unfortunately, the rain and wind took their toll on the fall foliage. But, I loved these tall pine trees and the few autumn leaves hanging on. So, I bundled up and set out to capture their height and majesty in this vertical treetop view. I hope they lift your spirits, too, and bring back fun memories of childhood cloud gazing. Now, I hope I can talk Scott into a back rub after craning my neck to paint this one!

To see a video of me painting this one, check out https://www.instagram.com/p/CyVrv3iOAu9/.

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

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

Colorful Birch Tree Painting from Vermont by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

October 1, 2026

20? x 30? textured acrylic painting on canvas

The weather turned quickly in Vermont! From 80 to 50 and solid rain in just a day. So here I took advantage of my last chance to paint while it was dry and there were still autumn leaves on the trees. Gilded and crimson foliage invite you to explore this golden light filled path. May you experience nature’s joy and serenity while wandering through these woods.

To see a video of the area as I was painting, check out https://www.instagram.com/p/CyOE3TjOlkc/.

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

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

Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley Paints the Italian Riviera

September 16, 2026

SOLD • 9″ x 12″ Textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

My husband and I are so excited to be leading an Art Trek (i.e. a plein air painting and photography workshop) to Cinque Terre, Italy next year. This string of 5 centuries-old seaside villages line the Italian Riviera coastline, dotted by colorful houses and vineyards that cling to steep cliffs. The harbors are filled with fishing boats and restaurants that serve the freshest seafood specialties along with delicious pesto pasta. An awe-inspiring hiking trail links the villages and offers sweeping sea vistas. So, today I set up along that trail with my easel to capture this beautiful view the picturesque hill town, Corniglia, perched high about the cove.

Voluminous clouds danced by as peaceful waters lapped along the shore. Sprinkle in some vibrant wildflowers and this made for a perfect, uplifting, serene afternoon! May you enjoy the escape with me!

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For more details on my other European paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, check out my website at nikigulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

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If you’d like to join us on one of our fun-filled upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

If you have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.

Tuscany Gorgeous Sunflower Field Painting by Palette Knife Artist Niki Gulley

September 11, 2026

10″ x 20″ Textured Acrylic Painting on Canvas Panel

My husband and I stumbled upon this quintessential Tuscan farmhouse while out for a scenic drive this spring. Perched alone on top of this hill, we loved how the incredibly long cypress lined driveway was silhouetted by the sky. The soft light caused the hills to glow the most intense golden chartreuse, and I felt compelled to capture the beautiful scene. Unfortunately that meant I had to set up my easel alongside a rather busy road. Undeterred by the constant parade of racing traffic and horn honking semi trucks, I quickly got to work in order to paint these gorgeous clouds and light before they were gone.

“Golden Undulation” is available through The Good Art Company Gallery. Visit https://www.goodartcompany.com/product-page/abstract-impression-original-art-10×20-landscape-golden-undulation.

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Tuscany is always our most popular Foodie Trek as the food, wine, people, scenery and history are unparalleled. And, you’re in luck if you’ve always wanted to go! We’ve had a couple of spots open up for our trip next September. Please let us know if you would like to join us. Spaces fill up quickly!

If you have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.

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Please check out my website at NikiGulley.com, NikiGulley.com to see more of my impressionistic palette knife paintings.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her contemporary Italy and European paintings.

Palette Knife Painting of the Piazza in Siena, Italy by Niki Gulley

September 8, 2026

7″ x 5″ textured oil painting on panel

One of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon in Siena, is to just sit in the Piazza and paint from different vantage points. Studying the architecture and experiencing the buzzing energy as residents co-mingle with tourists in the square is so fun to witness!

E-mail Niki Gulley.

NikiGulley.com

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Tuscany is always our most popular Foodie Trek as the food, wine, people, scenery and history are unparalleled. And, you’re in luck if you’ve always wanted to go! We’ve had two spots open up for our trip this fall and there are a couple of spots still open for 2027. Please let us know if you would like to join us!

If you have any questions or would like to register, please contact Scott at photoguy@blind-squirrel.org or 214-289-8512.

Visit ArtTreks.org for more details on all of our trips.

Check out our review page on TripAdvisor and feel free to leave one of your own.

New Van Gogh Inspired Sunflower Painting by Asheville Artist Niki Gulley

July 24, 2026

24″ x 12″ textured acrylic painting on canvas

I had so much fun painting these colorful flowers from our deck last week, that creating just one canvas wasn’t enough! Filled with so much uplifting color and cheer, the blooms led my palette knife to joyfully skip across the canvas capturing their sunshine. Surprising pops of color peek through so every time you gaze into this one, you discover something new. Set against the gorgeous mountain backdrop, dramatic clouds dance overhead and hopefully all of your cares drift away!

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E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my sunflower and wildflower fields paintings.

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

Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley Paints New Sunflower Series

July 23, 2026

24″ x 12″ textured acrylic painting on canvas

The past few weeks have been absolutely gorgeous for painting outside and revel in the cool mountain air. Our flowers on the deck are so colorful and uplifting that I had to share that joy with you. Unfortunately, my green thumb skills need a little work as my sunflower seeds have not sprouted. But, fortunately I have a vivid imagination and can paint them exactly as I wished they’d bloomed.

There is one thing I did leave out of the scene, though. As I was nearing the end of the painting, I had an unexpected visitor in our yard. Thank goodness I was on the upper deck, but still, this large papa bear was only about 20 feet away – yikes! The hazards of plein-air painting.

Click here to see the video of him: https://www.facebook.com/ScottWilliamsPhotography/posts/pfbid0XSQpDaomcPxhtR6pTn5m5VfkSpq619CstwwVXd19xRrmgicinwW8TqqLtYrEFCQ8l.

Despite a moment of heart failure there, I’m so happy with how these cheerful flowers turned out. May they bring some much needed happiness and sunshine to your day!

To see a video of the finished painting, the inspiration behind it and a close up on the texture detail, check out. https://www.instagram.com/p/DaDj94ZCYuv/.

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E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my sunflower and wildflower fields paintings.

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

“Old Orchard Beach” Painting in Maine by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

July 16, 2026

9″ x 12″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

What a fabulous day! Sun is shining. Waves are crashing. Seagulls are screaming. And, I’ve got my toes in the sand. We’ve landed on Old Orchard Beach in Maine just soaking up the beautiful scenery. Hope you can feel the beautiful ocean breezes and hear the cathartic sound of the tide, too!

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

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

Palette Knife Abstract Seascape Painting by Artist Niki Gulley

July 13, 2026

24″ x 24″ textured acrylic painting on canvas

We’re taking a break from fall foliage to soak up some warmth and sunshine along North Carolina’s Outer Banks coast. Listen to those rhythmic ocean waves! Talk about relaxing and just what the doctor ordered. Letting the sounds guide me and going with the flow of the moment, I left this one loose with abstract passages. I hope you can feel the joy and energy in this painting, and escape with me.

To see a video of this painting and location, visit https://www.instagram.com/p/Cyn0LbiOUhw/.

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

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