palette knife painting

“Adobe Oasis” Painting from Santa Fe, NM by Impressionist Niki Gulley

January 1, 2026

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.

“Perspective Control” Fall Aspen Painting by Niki Gulley

December 26, 2025

24” x 12″ textured mixed media painting

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

Enjoying the melodic tinkling of the aspen leaves rustling in the breeze, the trickling sounds of the babbling brook at our side, and the beauty of fall ablaze with color, I felt invigorated as I began painting this aspen forest. The setting was so peaceful 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, add to that uplifting feeling. And then just a sliver of the trail cutting through the forest, suggests the excitement of the journey that is to come.

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.

“Cacophony” Textured Autumn Aspen Painting Niki Gulley

December 25, 2025

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 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.

Experience Asheville’s Gorgeous Fall Foliage in Niki Gulley’s Paintings

December 22, 2025

SOLD • 20″ x 30″ textured acrylic painting on canvas

Just WOW!!! Our timing in Asheville was perfect. Gorgeous peak color and ideal 70 degree days. The view from our campsite was spectacular and I had to capture those autumn hues before they were gone. Especially since the leaves were falling into my paint as soon as I mixed the next color. I hope you can feel pure joy and energy in this one! And, there may be a little extra real leaf texture as a bonus.

To see a video about this painting, check out https://www.instagram.com/p/CzBw2bNOy_9/.

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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.

“Rhythm Reflections” Palette Knife Painting by Niki Gulley

December 16, 2025

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 Rhythm Reflections, I became fascinated with the mirror reflection on the aspen trees in the water below the horizon line. With the lake surface slightly blurring the individual leaves, patterns started emerging that created a sort of rhythm that I found mesmerizing. 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. Leaving the composition slightly abstracted gives you a chance to form your own contemplative narrative with nature.

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

E-mail – Niki Gulley

“Between the Birches” Fall Foliage Painting from Maine by Niki Gulley

December 15, 2025

18″ x 24″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

Painted on location in Acadia National Park, we discovered this beautiful spot alongside the road with plenty of room to park our RV, which isn’t always easy to find a spot large enough. The birches were starting to turn colors and I loved this peaceful lake view. I hope it transports you to serenity, too!

For more details and to purchase, “Between the Birches,” follow https://www.nikigulley.com/between-the-birches/.

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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.

Capturing Vermont’s Fall Foliage with Palette Knife Painter Niki Gulley

December 9, 2025

24″ x 18″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel

The color explosion in northern Vermont was out of this world, and I just had to capture its fleeting beauty. So, we found a nice big place to park the RV and I was able to work larger again today. The reds were so vibrant and intense on this maple that it had to be my focus. Feeling like a kid with the excitement of the colors, I chose this uplifting view reminiscent of laying on the ground as a child and staring up into the treetops and sky. Totally lost in the moment and not a care in the world, I hope you are transported to a similar happy memory from your youth!

To purchase “Climbing to the Sky,” please visit https://www.nikigulley.com/climbing-to-the-sky/.

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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.

Visiting Siena, Italy – Tuscany Art Trek with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

August 7, 2025

7″ x 5″ oil painting on panel

Day 3: TUSCANY ART TREK – Siena

Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams

On the fourth day of our Tuscany Art Trek, we visited the Medieval hill town of Siena, with its incredible marble Duomo, great people-watching plaza, and interesting alleyways radiating out from the campo with something new to discover around every turn. While some of our group shopped, some photographed and others relaxed on the square, I set up in one of the quiet cobble streets to capture the textures of these ancient walls and mood of this unique city. For dinner that night, we treated ourselves to a delicious home-made Italian meal of pastas, truffles, pecorino cheese and some amazing red wine!

That night we had a Tuscan chef prepare us an amazing 7 course meal at the villa – Buon Appetito!

NikiGulley.com

E-mail Niki Gulley

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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 2025. Please let us know if you would like to join us!

Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek
September 27 – October 4, 2025
2 Spots Left!

https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2025/

Carnivalé Art Trek – Venice, Italy 2026
Feb. 8-14, 2026
Early Registration Deadline for $600 savings – Aug. 9th

https://www.arttreks.org/carnival-2026/

Tuscany Foodie Trek 2026
September 26 – October 3, 2026
Only 4 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy
October 4-11, 2026
Only 6 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/cinque-terre-2026/

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.

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

August 5, 2025

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 Foodie Trek Trek
September 27 – October 4, 2025
2 Spots Left!

https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2025/

Carnivalé Art Trek – Venice, Italy 2026
Feb. 8-14, 2026
Early Registration Deadline for $600 savings – Aug. 9th

https://www.arttreks.org/carnival-2026/

Tuscany Foodie Trek 2026
September 26 – October 3, 2026
Only 4 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy
October 4-11, 2026
Only 6 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/cinque-terre-2026/

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.

“Windows on the World” Oil Painting by Niki Gulley from Tuscany

August 4, 2025

9″ x 12″ textured oil painting on panel

Inspired by Tuscany, you can almost imagine what the view must be like when you throw open the shutters and greet the morning as the scene unfolds below you! I loved the morning light raking across the building, casting long shadows and causing the textured stone and brick to tell its detailed history. And, there’s always one piece of laundry that refuses to dry as quickly as the others on the closthesline!

If you’re interested in purchasing this painting, just follow this link nikigulley.com/windows-on-the-world/.

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information.

NikiGulley.com

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Tuscany Foodie Trek Trek
September 27 – October 4, 2025
2 Spots Left!

https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2025/

Carnivalé Art Trek – Venice, Italy 2026
Feb. 8-14, 2026
Early Registration Deadline for $600 savings – Aug. 9th

https://www.arttreks.org/carnival-2026/

Tuscany Foodie Trek 2026
September 26 – October 3, 2026
Only 4 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/tuscany-foodie-2026/

Cinque Terre & Lake Como, Italy
October 4-11, 2026
Only 6 spots left!
https://www.arttreks.org/cinque-terre-2026/

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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