“Orchestrating Radiance” ©2013 Niki Gulley
Three 48″ x 30″ canvases to form a 48″ x 90″ triptych
Textured oil painting on wrap around canvases
I wanted this large-scale painting 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 shoreline, shadows and reflections in a curving pattern to add to that mood. Dripping willow leaves frame the foreground as water lilies skim the pond’s surface. 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.
To see more of Niki Gulley’s contemporary landscape paintings, please visit
NikiGulley.com.
Or, if you’re in the Chicago area, please stop by her booth at the 57th Street Art Fair:
57th Street Art Fair
Sat. June 1 • 11am – 6pm
Sun. June 2 • 10am – 5pm
On S. Kimbark, between 56th and 57th Streets • Booth # 827 (close to 56th St.) • Chicago, IL