White Rock Artists’ Studio Tour – this weekend

October 8, 2014
“Triple Passion” ©2014 Niki Gulley
textured oil painting on wrap around canvas
Can be hung horizontally 24″ x 48″ or vertically 48″ x 24″

I love the passion and energy in the color red, so I thought it would be fun to play with the still life I had set up of roses and make a painting where red was the dominant color.  In person, seeing these roses at life size, I wanted the viewer to be swept up in the movement and emotion of this piece. Utilizing flowing spirals, weaving back and forth, playful thick and thin paint in bold, loose strokes, ruby petals emerging and disappearing, all meant to tease the eye and excite your senses.

If you’re in the Dallas area this coming weekend and you’d like to see October Rhythms and more of my palette knife paintings in person, please stop by my studio as part of the White Rock Artists’ Studio Tour.

White Rock Artists Studio Tour
Sat. Oct. 11 • 10am – 5pm
Sun. Oct. 12 • 10am – 5pm
If you have any questions, please e-mail Niki Gulley.
To see more of Niki Gulley’s contemporary floral paintings, visit NikiGulley.com.

“October Rhythms” Palette Knife Aspen Trees by Niki Gulley

October 6, 2014
“October Rhythms” ©2014 Niki Gulley
36″ x 48″ textured oil painting on gallery wrap canvas

I find being immersed in nature can have such an uplifting effect, and I wanted to share that feeling with you in October Rhythms. I chose pure, intense reds and yellows contrasted against autumn golds and chocolates to create an fall forest that vibrates with color, energy and sound. The repetition in the aspen trunks and foliage patterns, combined with the flickering tones of the breeze rustling the leaves reminded me of a symphony in the forest so I titled this painting October Rhythms.

If you’re in the Dallas area this coming weekend and you’d like to see October Rhythms and more of my palette knife paintings in person, please stop by my studio as part of the White Rock Artists’ Studio Tour.

White Rock Artists Studio Tour
Sat. Oct. 11 • 10am – 5pm
Sun. Oct. 12 • 10am – 5pm
To see more of my aspen and birch tree paintings, please visit nikigulley.com.

E-mail – Niki Gulley

“Luminescent Radiance” textured oil painting of Monet’s Garden by Niki Gulley

October 4, 2014
“Luminescent Radiance” ©2014 Niki Gulley
Two 48″ x 18″ canvases with one 48″ x 30″ canvas in the middle to form a 48″ x 66″ triptych
Textured oil painting on wrap around canvas

I decided it would be a fun challenge to create an extremely large painting, and I wanted the final piece to be very uplifting, colorful and full of energy. Opting for warm colors and working with extremely thick paint and palette knives, I chose this lily pond reference from our visit to Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, France. The grounds were breathtaking and I could actually see his paintings come to life. I was drawn to the energetic flow and yet calming serenity in this view, and I positioned the water lilies and my paint strokes in a curving pattern to add to that mood. The morning light peeking through the distant foliage added to a sense of mystery and promise that I wanted to capture in paint, and share with you that feeling of hope.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

Or, stop by the Cottonwood Art Festival this weekend if you are in the Dallas area to see more of my textured oil paintings.

Cottonwood Art Festival
Sat. Oct. 4 • 10am – 7pm
Sun. Oct. 5 • 10am – 5pm
Cottonwood Park (Coit & Beltline) • Richardson, TX
Visit NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape paintings.

“Fire and Gold” – Textured Aspen Tree Painting by Niki Gulley

October 1, 2014
“Fire and Gold” ©2014 Niki Gulley
Textured oil on canvas • 36″ x 48″

I love the first signs of fall – the crisp feel in the air, the crunching of leaves underfoot, the beautiful autumn colors, and being totally immersed in nature in the middle of a forest without a care in the world. In Fire and Gold I wanted to recreate that joyful feeling, choosing warm reds and yellows of autumn and using energetic strokes with my paint to heighten that mood. Building up first thin transparent layers and then thick textured layers of oil paint also add to a certain glow and magic in the final piece.

E-mail – Niki Gulley for more information.Or, stop by the Cottonwood Art Festival this weekend if you are in the Dallas area to see more of Niki’s work.

Cottonwood Art Festival
Sat. Oct. 4 • 10am – 7pm
Sun. Oct. 5 • 10am – 5pm
Cottonwood Park (Coit & Beltline) • Richardson, TX
Please visit NikiGulley.com to see more of her contemporary landscape paintings.

 

“Butterfly on Elephant Ears” Arboretum -25″x19″ pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

September 29, 2014
“Butterfly on Elephant Ears” 25″x19″ pastel
© Niki Gulley

Vibrant yellows with a rainbow of colors in the background.

What a treat to find this little guy taking a break on these elephant ears at the Dallas Arboretum.  The black and orange of this monarch butterfly caught my eye but the curves of the ears lead me right to him.
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For more information on “Butterfly on Elephant Ears,” please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, visit NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings and pastels.

“Purple Irises” pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

September 26, 2014
Purple Irises – 24″ x 18″ ©Niki Gulley
White Rock Lake Dallas

Soft cool colors of purple

Irises are just one of the many flowers found at White Rock Lake in Dallas.  This group with the diagonal line made the piece.  The petals falling right into place as if they were instructed.

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For more information on “Purple Irises,” please e-mail Niki Gulley.



Or, visit NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings and pastels. 

“Making Connections” London – 14″ x 18″ – pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

September 22, 2014
Making Connections, London – 14″ x 18″ – pastel
© Niki Gulley
England Train Station, the Harry Potter shopping cart porthole.   I like the variety of this scene and the many ways it can be interpreted.  The pastels give it a sense of loneliness or uncertainty.  Possibly a new college grad starting their new career with all of their belongings packed for a train ride.  Or maybe a performer moving on to their next gig.  Whatever “connection” you make with this piece, I hope you like it. 

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For more information on “Making Connections,” please e-mail Niki Gulley.
Or, visit NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings and pastels.

“Santorini Sunset” Pastel Landscape by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

September 19, 2014

“Santorini Sunset” ©2014 Niki Gulley
12″ x 24″ pastel

My husband and I honeymooned in Greece and fell in love with everything about it. Definitely one of our favorite spots was the island of Santorini for its beautiful views of the Caldera, its white-washed architecture with the signature blue domes, the laid back attitude and the warmth of the people. Here is a view at the far end of the island in the town of Oia. I wanted to capture the “skyline,” ocean view and the gorgeous sunset that night.

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If you’d also like to experience the beauty, history and culture of Greece, join me and travel photographer, Scott Williams, for our Plein Air Painting and Photography Art Trek to Athens and Santorini, Greece May 8-16, 2015. We’d love to have you join us! E-mail Niki Gulley for more information or go to nikigulley.com/artreks for more details on France, Greece, or our Italy Art Treks.
For more information on “Santorini Sunset,” please e-mail Niki Gulley.
Or, visit NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings and pastels.

“Blind Light” Dallas pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

September 17, 2014
Blind Light, Dallas West End – pastel – 12″ x 18″
© Niki GulleyAnother one of my adventures to the Dallas West End brought me to  this scene.  The light patterns and the lone guy walking away drew me in.  I really like the way the colors fade in the distance.  The leading lines put you right on the street.

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information about “Blind Light”
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Please visit my website at NikiGulley.com  to see more of my pastels and oil paintings of contemporary art.  Or plan to attend this upcoming tour:
White Rock Artists Studio Tour
Sat. Oct. 11 • 10am – 5pm
Sun. Oct. 12 • 10am – 5pm

 

“Shift Change” Dallas Landry’s Seafood, pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

September 15, 2014
“Shift Change, Dallas West End – Pastel 12″X18”
© Niki Gulley

Lights glitter from their hiding places, nestled among the branches, mimicking the gleam of the stars high overhead. The wait staff gather outside, savoring the cool air, their work for the day done. Having left the fast paced world inside of Landry’s, they take a moment, and a breath, unwinding with a chat.

The pastels in this piece help the light bleed into the dark, capturing well the inviting warmth of Landry’s Seafood. In this scene we get to a changing of the guard, one no less important than any other. The lines guide you in, much like the pedestrians wandering into the scene.

E-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com for more information about “Shift Change”.

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Please visit my website at NikiGulley.com  to see more of my pastels and oil paintings of contemporary art.

Or plan to attend this upcoming tour:

White Rock Artists Studio Tour

Sat. Oct. 11 • 10am – 5pm

Sun. Oct. 12 • 10am – 5pm

WhiteRockArtists.com