In this painting I wanted you to feel that child-like wonder of staring up in into the treetops and the heavens above. Choosing vibrant, cheerful yellows contrasted against a vivid blue sky and arranging the aspens in a circular pattern heightened by thick, curving paint strokes, both add to that joyful, playful feeling of hope and discovery.

If you’re in Chicago this weekend, and you’d like to see more of Niki’s aspen and birch paintings, please visit her booth at the 57th Street Art Fair.

E-mail Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information about my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings.