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

  

“Climbing to the Sky” ©2026 Niki Gulley
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/.

 

 https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/

 

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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.

 

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

“Between the Birches” ©2026 Niki Gulley
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/.

 
 
 

 https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/

 
•••
 
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.

 

Sunflower Palette Knife Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

“Tuscan Sunshine”
SOLD •  16″ x 20″ textured acrylic painting by Niki Gulley
 
These bright, smiling faces as big as dinner plates, the villa and farmland perched on a hilltop in the distance, and a beautiful summer day with a few clouds drifting by made for the ideal subject in Tuscany today. The resulting painting is full of warmth, color and texture, and my hope is that when you gaze into it, this piece lifts your spirits and brightens up any spot in your home!
 
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For more details on my other Tuscany paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

 

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

 
https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/
 
 
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If you’d like to join us on one of our fun-filled upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!
 
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.
 

“Fall Jamboree” Palette Knife Painting by Niki Gulley

     

“Fall Jamboree” ©2026 Niki Gulley
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.
 
To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/
 

“Fence Line” Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

 

“Fence Line” ©2026 Niki Gulley
20″ x 16″ textured oil painting on canvas panel

Getting a chance to escape for a quick road trip to the mountains to paint, was just what the doctor ordered! Spending time in nature and reveling in the stunning fall colors with the crisp cool air, rejuvenated my spirit and inspired my muse. Add to the fact that I love aspens and you have just about the perfect remedy for these challenging times. I hope that you will feel my excitement and energy so that it will bring you as much joy as it did me.

To purchase “Fence Line,” go to https://www.nikigulley.com/fence-line/.

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To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
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  https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/

 

“Nova” Textured Aspen Tree Painting by Niki Gulley

“Nova” ©2026 Niki Gulley
36″ x 36″ textured mixed media painting 
on 1.5″ wrap around canvas with the painting continuing around the edges
 
Inspired by this gorgeous aspen grove, I wanted to capture the magical morning light casting its warm glow on the forest. Peaceful and mysterious, the sun’s rays peek through the knotted trunks causing the landscape to dance with light and awaken with autumn’s kaleidoscope of colors. Loaded with texture and layers and layers of paint, the forest shimmers with hope and discovery for the new day.
 
 
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To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Fall Foliage in the Smoky Mountains by Palette Knife Painter Niki Gulley

 

“Fall’s Spectrum” ©2026 Niki Gulley
24″ x 30″ textured acrylic painting on canvas
 
Here is Asheville, NC in all of its peak autumn glory the last week of October. Of course, one of the challenges of plein-air painting is you never know what is going to change in the scene you are capturing. For instance, our neighbors at our campsite chose to park their black sedan right here in the middle of our picturesque view. Oh, well! The scenery beyond was still beautiful and I was able to take some photos on my camera to finish this one up at home. It also gave us a good excuse to take a scooter ride on that beautiful 70 degree day and check out the picturesque nature trails in the North Carolina Arboretum. Not a bad way to finish up our immersive autumn trip!
 
 https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/
 
•••
 
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.
 

 

Painting in Tuscany with Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

 

 

“Flowering Destination” ©2025 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 16″ x 20″ textured acrylic painting on canvas panel
 
When we pulled into this villa in Italy, I thought I’d walked into a fantasy land! Gorgeous Roman architecture surrounded by the most beautiful rose gardens in every direction. I could just imagine holding the most romantic wedding here, and how happy all of your guests would be. I hope you, too, can escape into these idyllic grounds and absorb the beauty of Tuscany.
•••
 

For details on more of my Tuscany or European paintings, please e-mail Niki Gulley.

 

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

 
https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/
 
 
***
 
 
If you’re interested in joining us in Tuscany or on one of our upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!

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.

“Autumn Brushstrokes” Palette Knife Painting by Asheville Artist Niki Gulley

 

“Autumn Brushstrokes” © 2026 Niki Gulley

12″ x 12″ textured acrylic on canvas panel

Can you feel nature’s energy as cooling autumn breezes dance through the vibrant foliage? As leaves start to fall, glimpses of the distance peeks and valleys shine through and your journey is illuminated with gorgeous mountain views. Incorporating bold, broad, skipping strokes add to that feeling of joy and rejuvenation while thick, chunky texture brings this sculptural painting to life.
 

To see more of Niki’s contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

 

https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/

“Casting Shadows” Fall Foliage Painting by Asheville Artist Niki Gulley

 

“Casting Shadows” ©2026 Niki Gulley

textured acrylic on canvas

30″ x 40” on 1.5? deep canvas with the painting wrapping around the edges

What a gorgeous day for a drive through the beautiful fall foliage! I hope you can feel the cool breeze and smell the fresh scent of pine and cider in the air. May this one bring joy and energy to your day, as you escape into this autumn wonderland.

If you’d like to see a photo of me painting this one and it’s 3-D texture, check out https://www.instagram.com/p/DCHGx3RRo4n/.

To see more of Niki’s contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

 

https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/