New Bluebonnet Palette Knife Painting by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

June 15, 2015
“April Rhythms,” Texas Hill Country ©2015 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 36″ x 36″ textured oil painting on wrap around canvas

JUST SOLD! In this painting, I wanted to capture the rhythm, color, and density of our bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrush and vibrant wildflowers flowing along the grassy rises and falls of our berms in the Texas Hill Country. Making sure not to over blend my thick strokes so that you could see the marks and feel the energy found in nature, April Rhythms is loaded with texture, color and movement. Repeating patterns, shapes and hues in the blooms, sky and distant mesquite trees unite foreground and background and add to the harmony of spring’s symphony.

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

New “Sharing Sunshine” Sunflower Palette Knife Painting by Niki Gulley

June 12, 2015
“Sharing Sunshine” ©2015 Niki Gulley
30″ x 48″ textured oil painting on wrap around canvas

Inspired by a trip to Provence, I was awestruck by these massive fields of sunflowers blooming and the vibrant red poppies growing at their feet. 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. These cheerful sunflowers and poppies practically leap off the canvas with their vibrant petals and extremely thick three-dimensional paint.

If you’re in the Columbus, OH area this weekend and you’d like to see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, please stop by my booth at the Columbus Art Festival.

Columbus Art Festival
June 12th and 13th • 11am – 10:30pm
Sun. June 14th • 11am – 5pm
Booth #217M
 Downtown Riverfront, Columbus, OH
ColumbusArtsFestival.org

For more information on textured sunflower and poppy paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

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

New “Grove of Sunshine” Palette Knife Aspen Tree Painting by Niki Gulley

June 10, 2015
“Grove of Sunshine” ©2015 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 36″ x 60″ textured oil painting on wrap around canvas

JUST SOLD! This Colorado aspen forest was so dense and beautiful. I loved the pops of vibrant fall colors peeking through the tangled web of white textured trunks. Ruby reds grab your attention while staccato strokes of rich jewel tones cause the foliage to shimmer and long sweeping passages of chartreuse lead your eye across the canvas. I hope you can feel the energy found in nature and its power to invigorate your spirit.

If you’re in the Columbus, OH area this weekend and you’d like to see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, please stop by my booth at the Columbus Art Festival.

Columbus Art Festival
June 12th and 13th • 11am – 10:30pm
Sun. June 14th • 11am – 5pm
Booth #217M
 Downtown Riverfront, Columbus, OH
ColumbusArtsFestival.org

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

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

New Textured Lavender Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

June 8, 2015
“Uplifting Fragrance,” Tuscany ©2015 Niki Gulley
24″ x 12″ textured mixed media painting on wrap around canvas

The lavender fields in Provence are incredible – perfectly manicured rows and rows of an explosion of violet as far as the eye can see. I wanted to try something different in this painting, arranging the purple waves vertically to draw your eye up to the stone farmhouse perched on top of one of the distant hills. Wispy clouds mirror similar patterns as the lavender columns and create a harmony between foreground and background, while perspective lines all converge at the summit, leading you to this joyful, peaceful spot. I hope you can smell the amazing aromas and  feel your spirits lifted while gazing into this scene!
If you’re in the Columbus area this weekend and you’d like to see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, please stop by my booth at the Columbus Art Festival.

Columbus Art Festival
June 12th and 13th • 11am – 10:30pm
Sun. June 14th • 11am – 5pm
 Downtown Riverfront, Columbus, OH
ColumbusArtsFestival.org

“Uplifting Fragrance” is available through the Good Art Company in Fredericksburg, TX.
goodartcompany.com/gac/

For more information on my plein air paintings and workshops in Italy and France, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

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

New Palette Knife Tuscany Poppy Field Painting by Niki Gulley

June 5, 2015
“Popping Color,” Tuscany ©2015 Niki Gulley
24″ x 12″ textured mixed media painting on wrap around canvas

Inspired from a wonderful trip to Tuscany, I wanted this piece to be uplifting and full of color and energy. Set beneath a clear azure blue sky on a beautiful day in springtime with the poppies and wildflowers in full bloom, I hope all of your cares drift away while gazing into this cheerful scene.
If you’re in the Chicago area this weekend and you’d like to see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, please stop by my booth at the 57th Street Art Fair.

57th Street Art Fair 
Sat. June 6 • 11am – 6pm
Sun. June 7 • 10am – 5pm
Chicago, IL • on 57th St., between Kenwood and Kimbark Ave.
57thStreetArtFair.org

For more information on my plein air paintings and workshops in Italy and France, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

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

New Textured Sunflower Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

June 3, 2015
“Sunny Fields” ©2015 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 24″ x 12″ textured mixed media painting on wrap around canvas

Just Sold! Inspired by a trip to Provence, I was awestruck by these massive fields of sunflowers blooming. 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. In person, these cheerful sunflowers practically leap off the canvas with their vibrant yellow petals and extremely thick three-dimensional paint.
If you’re in the Chicago area this weekend and you’d like to see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, please stop by my booth at the 57th Street Art Fair.

57th Street Art Fair 
Sat. June 6 • 11am – 6pm
Sun. June 7 • 10am – 5pm
Chicago, IL • on 57th St., between Kenwood and Kimbark Ave.
57thStreetArtFair.org

For more information on my plein air paintings and workshops in Italy and France, please e-mail Niki Gulley.


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

New Sunflower and Lavender Palette Knife Painting by Niki Gulley

May 29, 2015
“Sunny Life,” Provence ©2015 Niki Gulley
30″ x 48″ textured oil painting

Sunny Life is inspired from one of the amazing locations we take our students to on our Provence Art Trek. We actually set up our easels in this gorgeous lavender and sunflower field, where the flowers seem to stretch forever. The color and aroma explosion were out of this world – a painter’s and photographer’s dream come true. Words can’t even describe how special that moment was to paint there surrounded by all that beauty!

Taking my plein air sketch that I painted on location above, I set to capture that joyous feeling back in my studio. Pulling in closer to the sunflowers so you could see their beaming faces and get a sense of their scale, I added a few more color surprises to add to the happy mood (and I didn’t have to worry about getting too close in fear of bee stings in the studio!) I hope you, too, experience the beauty and contentment of being in Provence through my painting.

If you’d like more information or a brochure on one of our upcoming Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshops listed below, please let me know. We are taking reservations for this years trip to Tuscany, Italy, so please let us know if you would like to join us.  For more details, e-mail Niki@NikiGulley.com or go to nikigulley.com/artreks.

Please visit NikiGulley.com (www.NikiGulley.com) to see more of my impressionistic plein air oil paintings.

New Palette Knife Aspen Tree Painting by Niki Gulley

May 27, 2015

“Intertwining Beauty” ©2015 Niki Gulley
36″ x 60″ textured oil on canvas


Intertwining Beauty was inspired by a recent trip to the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The aspen forest was so dense and beautiful. I loved the pops of vibrant fall colors peeking through the tall, tangled, web of white knobby trunks. Ruby reds grab your attention while staccato strokes of emerald, amethyst and topaz lead your eye around the canvas. I hope you can feel the energy found in nature and its power to invigorate your spirit.


I painted these aspen trees with extremely thick paint and palette knife. The resulting canvas is loaded with texture, color and energy! I’ve painted it on 1 and 1/2 inch deep stretcher bars, with the image continuing around the edges so that it can be hung as is frameless for a contemporary look. 

If interested in more information, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

To see more of my textured aspen and birch paintings, please visit NikiGulley.com.

“Heightened Awareness” Palette Knife Aspen Treetop Painting by Niki Gulley

May 25, 2015
“Heightened Awareness” ©2015 Niki Gulley
48” x 30” textured mixed media on canvas

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.

New “Golden Aura II” Palette Knife Birch Painting by Niki Gulley

May 22, 2015
“Golden Aura II” ©2015 Niki Gulley
36″ x 48″ textured oil painting on wrap around canvas

Painted with extremely thick oil paint and palette knives so that this canvas is loaded with texture and bursting with color, 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. While combining short staccato strokes along with long sweeping passes 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.

Email me for more information on this birch painting.

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