Month: April 2010

Climbing Trees at Cottonwood this weekend

April 30, 2010

“Climbing Trees II” ©2010 Niki Gulley
48″ x 36″ oil on canvas
In this painting, I wanted you to you to experience the wonderment of looking up into the treetops – just like you did when you were a kid. Choosing playful colors and thick chunky staccato strokes adds to that childlike whimsy and I hope you are transported back to a happy, carefree time and place.

Stop by my booth at the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson, Texas this weekend and see “Climbing Trees” along with several other new paintings I’ve created this winter. Visit cottonwoodartfestival.com for details.

E-mail me for more information at [email protected].

Texas Bluebonnets oil painting at Cottonwood

April 28, 2010

7″ x 5″ oil painting by Niki Gulley

These Texas bluebonnets were created with extremely thick oil paint and palette knives. If you’re interested in seeing this painting or others like it, visit my booth at the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson, Texas this weekend. For more information, see cottonwoodartfestival.com.

Cottonwood Art Festival this weekend

April 26, 2010

“Last Light,” Texas Hill Country ©2010 Niki Gulley
12″ x 24″ pastel
We drove down to the Texas Hill Country to see the bluebonnets, and the Willow City Loop did not disappoint! Thick masses of azure blue as far as the eye could see. I was particularly drawn to this scene late in the day when the sun was starting to set and creating interesting long lavender shadows across the gently rolling landscape.
I’ll have this pastel at my booth at the Cottonwood Art Festival, cottonwoodartfestival.com this weekend f you’d like to see it in person. Or, e-mail me at [email protected] for more information.

Poppy oil painting at Art in the Square

April 23, 2010

Poppy study by Niki Gulley
5″ x 7″ oil painting
Created with extremely thick oil paint and palette knife.

I’ll have this poppy painting and several other highly textured miniature oil painting studies at great prices this weekend at Southlake’s Art in the Square. artinthesquare.com. I look forward to seeing you there!

Texas Bluebonnets Oil Painting

April 21, 2010

“Surrounded by Bluebonnets” ©2010 Niki Gulley
12″ x 24″ oil painting

Bluebonnets in Ennis, Texas on a beautiful clear day. I thought it was important to get both the red barn and the pond in this painting to set the scene, so in order to balance all of that weight on the right hand side of the picture, I chose a panorama format to include the trees and driveway on the left side of the property.

I’ll have this painting and several other Texas landscapes at Southlake’s Art in the Square this weekend. I hope you can stop by!
For more information, visit artinthesquare.com

Poppy Fields Oil Painting at Southlake Art in the Square – this weekend

April 19, 2010

“What Dreams May Come” ©2010 Niki Gulley
Oil on canvas • 36” x 48”

In this painting I wanted to create a dream-like feel using one of my favorite flowers, the poppy, so I chose to paint this landscape at dusk as the sun is starting to set over the distant hills to add to that mood. I love the wildflower masses in the foreground creating waves of color, and the curving shapes adding to the sense of tranquility. I was mesmerized watching the cinematography in the movie “What Dreams May Come” and my painting reminded me a little of those magical graphics, so I decided to title my piece the same.

I’ll be displaying “What Dreams May Come” and several other new paintings at Southlake’s Art in the Square this weekend. I hope you can stop by and visit. For more information, see artinthesquare.com.

Or e-mail me at [email protected].

Tuscany Painting Workshop with Niki Gulley

April 15, 2010
“Crimson Waves,” Tuscany ©2010 Niki Gulley
oil on canvas • 18″ x 48″

Inspired by the gorgeous rolling hills and prolific poppy fields in Tuscany, I chose this location to experiment with a different technique utilizing extremely thick paint (1/4″ – 1/2″ in thickness) and palette knives. I was extremely pleased with the results – a three-dimensional painting that explodes with color and energy.

If you’d like to join us in Tuscany for our next Plein-air Painting / Photography Workshop this September, e-mail me at [email protected]. Space fills up quickly and we have room for only two more participants, with a final registration deadline of April 24th.

For more information, visit my website at NikiGulley.com

Also, I will be showing this painting at the Fiesta Arts Fair in San Antonio this weekend if you would like to see it in person, booth #74 at Navarro and Augusta Streets.

I look forward to seeing you there!

San Antonio Fiesta Arts Fair – this weekend

April 13, 2010

“Hill Country Retreat” by Niki Gulley
24″ x 36″ pastel

This year the bluebonnets were amazing thanks to ideal conditions – just the right amount of rain, sun and temperatures – to produce a solid sea of blue. This patch must have stood out to passersby since there was actually a path carved out down to dirt through the bluebonnets from so many families having chosen it for their photo opportunities. I liked how the trail led you through the Texas wildflowers to the beautiful hill country retreat in the background. I chose this vantage point so that you could feel like you were standing right in the middle of the bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush.

To see this painting inn person, visit my booth at the Fiesta Arts Fair in San Antonio this weekend (swschool.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64) or e-mail me at [email protected] for more information.

April 10, 2010

“April Blooms VI” ©2010 Niki Gulley
7″ x 5″ oil painting
Bluebonnets are out in full force right now – even in Dallas / Fort Worth with some beautiful patches in between the two cities. I hope you can stop by the Dutch Art Gallery to see my painting “April Blooms” and meet all of the talented artists in the “Finding Her Voice” reception from 1 – 2 pm this Sunday. Visit dutchartusa.com for more information.