palette knife painting

“Blazing a Trail” Abstracted Autumn Aspen Painting Niki Gulley

June 19, 2023

30” x 30″ textured mixed media painting

on 1.5″ wrap around canvas with the painting continuing around the edges

Flickering autumn leaves seem to almost dance in a gentle breeze. I wanted this scene to be filled with movement and energy, so I incorporated a lot of diagonal and curving shapes in the design to suggest that feeling. Contrasting short staccato strokes against blended passages with my palette knives, also increase that sense of motion. I hope you, too, can feel the excitement of walking through the woods on a beautiful fall day, letting your cares slip away and your spirit being invigorated.

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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.

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For more details and to purchase “Cacophony,” visit https://ao5gallery.com/collections/niki-gulley.

“Cacophony” Textured Autumn Aspen Painting Niki Gulley

June 16, 2023

30” x 30″ textured mixed media painting

on 1.5″ wrap around canvas with the painting continuing around the edges

Enjoying the concert of aspen leaves rustling in the breeze and the beauty of fall ablaze with color, I felt invigorated as I began painting this aspen forest. The setting was so mesmerizing and rejuvenating that I wanted to communicate that joyful feeling of discovery. Filling the canvas with energetic staccato strokes and bold colors, in addition to gently arching the tree trunks reaching towards the sky, all add to that uplifting feeling of being immersed in nature’s symphony.

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For more details and to purchase “Cacophony,” visit https://ao5gallery.com/collections/niki-gulley.

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.

New “Adobe Oasis” Southwest Living Painting by Impressionist Niki Gulley

June 2, 2023

24″ x 30″ textured mixed media painting on canvas

During a trip to Santa Fe, we visited this peaceful street off Canyon Road where each home is postcard perfect. Between the unique adobe architecture, the dramatic morning light, and the beautiful plantings surrounding each home, it was hard to choose what to paint! I was drawn to this turquoise doorway and gorgeous raking morning light. I loved the oranges of the adobe contrasted against the purples in the various blooming sage plants. Chamisa and aspens glow in a warm golden palette and pops of ruby blooms add energy and warmth to the scene. Welcome home!

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E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my Southwest textured oil paintings.

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

“Bundle of Sunshine” Sunflower Palette Knife Painting by Niki Gulley

May 11, 2023

“Bundle of Sunshine” ©2023 Niki Gulley
24″ x 12″ textured oil painting on wrap around canvas, framed in an espresso floater frame

I was awestruck by these massive fields of sunflowers blooming in Provence. Seeing this brilliant carpet of gold, with its sea of faces smiling towards the sun, just made me feel happy and I wanted you to experience that joy, too. Exaggerating the tile-roofed house in the distance also adds to that cheerful, whimsical mood of feeling content and like you’ve found your home. Created with palette knife and oil paint, “Bundle of Sunshine” practically leaps off the canvas and comes to life with its vibrant yellow petals and extremely thick three-dimensional oil paint.

For more details on my other floral 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’re interested in joining us on one of our upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

For more information on upcoming Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.

“Visions of Azaleas” Palette Knife Oil Painting by Niki Gulley

May 5, 2023

“Visions of Azaleas” ©2022 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 24″ x 12″ textured oil painting on wrap around canvas, framed in an espresso floater frame

Sold through The Good Art Company Gallery in Fredericksburg, TX! Painted on location, I set up my easel in front of these prolific azalea bushes along Turtle Creek near my home. The vibrant pinks and fuchsia were so full of life set against the cool green leaves, that I wanted to capture not only that vivid spring color but also the elegant sycamore tree in the distance with its speckled white bark. Contrasting the height of the vertical tree against the horizontal blooms, I chose this vertical panoramic canvas, and repeating shapes throughout creates a harmony to the overall scene. Painted with palette knife and lots of texture, I hope you can feel the beauty and energy of a perfect spring day.

See more at https://www.goodartcompany.com/niki-gulley.

For information on my other floral paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

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

New Contemporary Tulip Painting by Palette Knife Artist Niki Gulley

March 27, 2023

20″ x 20″ textured oil painting

I painted these cheerful tulips from life in my backyard garden. With all of our rain this year, I had a bumper crop and wanted to capture the joy I felt seeing them signaling that winter was finally over and spring had begun! Created with palette knife and thick paint, this piece is bursting with color and texture. Blurring out the background, you can focus on each individual flower. Creating a circular composition within the square format creates a harmony and flow, while unblended diagonal marks add to the energy and happiness of the moment. I hope these tulips brighten your day and lift your spirits, too.

To purchase this piece, go to https://www.nikigulley.com/rhapsody-in-bloom-ii/.

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E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my tulip and contemporary floral paintings.

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

New Orleans Garden District Painting by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

January 31, 2023

12″ x 9″ palette knife oil painting

On our plein air painting and photography workshop my husband and I taught in New Orleans, we rode the trolley to the Garden District and set out to capture the beautiful architecture so distinctive of the area. I was attracted to this grand pink house, and in particular I loved the huge old oak tree framing it. The dappled light hitting the trunk was so striking that I decided to accentuate that in my painting with a multitude of colors and values while making the background soft to keep the composition from becoming too cluttered. The sheer size and age of the trees in New Orleans is incredible, which I set out to show juxtaposing the massive oak against the smaller two-story homes in the distance. Created with palette knife and a lot of oil paint, this canvas is loaded with texture and uplifting colors so that you feel the joy and energy of hanging out in New Orleans.

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

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my paintings.

“Fall Jamboree” Palette Knife Painting by Niki Gulley

January 4, 2023

36″ x 60″ textured oil painting on canvas

I love being immersed in nature. After living in a city surrounded by concrete and noise, I find being surrounded by mother nature to be extremely cathartic, peaceful and rejuvenating. In Fall Jamboree, I wanted to capture those feelings of happiness and tranquility. Working first with thin drippy paint, and then building up thick layers of oil paint with palette knives to achieve extreme dimension, this painting is loaded with movement, energy and color. I hope it lifts your spirits and recharges your batteries while bringing texture, joy and the outdoors inside your home.

E-mail Niki Gulley with any questions.

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

Sunflower Palette Knife Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

January 3, 2023

“Sunshine on my Mind”

SOLD • 24″ x 12″ textured acrylic Sunflower painting by Niki Gulley

Just sold! I was awestruck by these massive fields of sunflowers blooming not too far away from where I live. Seeing this brilliant carpet of gold, with its sea of faces smiling towards the sun, just made me feel happy and I wanted you to experience that joy, too. Created with palette knife and thick paint, these yellow beauties practically leap off the canvas and come to life!

For more details on my other sunflower and floral paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

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

“Visions of Azaleas” Palette Knife Oil Painting by Niki Gulley

December 21, 2022

“Visions of Azaleas” ©2022 Niki Gulley
24″ x 12″ textured oil painting on wrap around canvas, framed in an espresso floater frame

Painted on location, I set up my easel in front of these prolific azalea bushes along Turtle Creek near my home. The vibrant pinks and fuchsia were so full of life set against the cool green leaves, that I wanted to capture not only that vivid spring color but also the elegant sycamore tree in the distance with its speckled white bark. Contrasting the height of the vertical tree against the horizontal blooms, I chose this vertical panoramic canvas, and repeating shapes throughout creates a harmony to the overall scene. Painted with palette knife and lots of texture, I hope you can feel the beauty and energy of a perfect spring day.

“Visions of Azaleas” along with several of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings are available through my gallery, the Good Art Company, in Fredericksburg, TX at https://www.goodartcompany.com/niki-gulley.

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

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