Dallas art shows

New Dallas Skyline oil painting

November 17, 2010

oil on canvas • 12″ x 24″

Just off the easel! On a peaceful autumn day last fall, I went out with my camera to White Rock Lake and captured this beautiful sunset behind the Dallas skyline. I liked how the pampas grass and various plants in the foreground were back lit by the setting sun and how the water’s surface was shimmering from the low light, adding to a sense of mystery and tranquility in that golden moment.

If you’d like information on “Golden Moment,” e-mail me at [email protected].

I will also have several pieces on display and available for sale at my Last Art Show of 2010 this weekend at the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas. See bathhousecultural.com for details.

Last Art Show of 2010

November 15, 2010

oil on canvas • 40″ x 30″

Sold to a collector in Dallas this month – I painted these aspen trees with extremely thick paint and palette knife so that the artwork is loaded with texture and almost three-dimensional. I love the playfulness of looking up into the treetops, as did the collectors!

If you’d like information on more of my aspen tree paintings or commissioning a unique piece, e-mail me at [email protected].

Also, I will have several pieces on display and available for sale at my Last Art Show of 2010 this weekend at the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas. See bathhousecultural.com for details.

Dutch Art Gallery opening this Sat. 1-5pm

November 5, 2010

Oil on canvas • 30” x 40”

When I was a teenager my grandparents and the majority of my dad’s family moved to Texas and I loved coming down from Chicago to visit them. I remember the first time I saw a massive field of bluebonnets and I was awestruck by the expanse of color. It was amazing that such tiny flowers when planted in mass could form a solid sea of blue. I wanted to relive those fond memories of spending time with my grandma and grandpa, while also recreating the exciting wildflower displays I remember seeing for the first time as a kid in Rhapsody in Blue. Using this interesting weathered farm house in Marble Falls and painting it engulfed in one of our best bluebonnet and Indian Paintbrush displays perfectly captures those memories.

To see more of my Texas wildflower paintings, stop by the Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas this Saturday for the “Artists of Texas” reception from 1-5. Myself and many of the other talented artists will be there to answer any questions and talk with you more about our work.

Where Texas Finds Its Color

The Artists of Texas – Second Annual State Show

Artist Reception November 6th, 1:00-5:00 pm

November 2 – December 31, 2010

The Dutch Art Gallery

10233 East Northwest Highway Suite 420

Dallas, Texas 75238

dutchartusa.com

“Tell Me Your Dreams” – Poppy oil painting

November 3, 2010

11″ x 14″ oil painting

I absolutely love poppies and seeing them growing in mass! In this painting I wanted to show them in a different way than we’re used to seeing poppies so I chose a low angle to show off the beauty of their simplified forms and the strength of such a delicate flower, in addition to capturing the sky behind them.

To see more of my poppies and other wildflower paintings from around the US, particularly Texas, stop by the Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas this Saturday for the “Artists of Texas” reception from 1-5. Myself and many of the other talented artists will be there to answer any questions and tell you about our work.

Where Texas Finds Its Color

The Artists of Texas – Second Annual State Show

Artist Reception November 6th, 1:00-5:00 pm

November 2 – December 31, 2010

The Dutch Art Gallery

10233 East Northwest Highway Suite 420

Dallas, Texas 75238

dutchartusa.com

Idyllic Village – New oil painting from Austria

October 15, 2010

8” x 10” oil painting

After teaching our plein air painting / photography workshop in Venice, my husband and I ventured north into Austria and Bavaria, the land of castles and fairytale villages. We found this sleepy little town south of Salzburg and I fell in love with its beauty and charm, and I just had to paint it!

To see “Idyllic Village” and my other recent paintings stop by my studio in Dallas as part of the White Rock Lake Artists’ Studio Tour – Saturday and Sunday. For more information on the Studio Tour, see WhiteRockArtists.com.

Or, e-mail me at [email protected] for more information.

White Rock Lake Artists’ Studio Tour – Oct. 16 & 17

October 13, 2010

8″ x 10″ pastel

After a delicious lunch of prosciutto and pecorinos on day three of our painting / photography workshop in Tuscany, we decided to venture into the countryside and paint this lone clump of cypress trees. With the simpler subject (and maybe a little Chianti at lunch!), everyone could relax and play, having fun pushing their colors and experimenting with their strokes. I liked how the late afternoon sun was casting such long dramatic shadows on the ground and I decide to accentuate the cool blues and violets I saw in the darks to contrast with the gold rolling hills.

If you’ve dreamt about painting in Tuscany, join us for our next Plein Air Painting Workshop in Sept. 2011. Visit nikigulley.com/?page_id=13 for more information or e-mail me at [email protected].

To see my paintings, my husband’s (Scott Williams’) photographs, and our students’ creations from this year’s Venice & Tuscany painting and photography classes, stop by our “From Pasta to Schnitzel” art party Friday night at our studio in Dallas or the check out the White Rock Lake Artists’ Studio Tour Saturday and Sunday. For more information on the Studio Tour, see WhiteRockArtists.com.

Tuscany Plein Air Painting / Photography Workshop

October 11, 2010

We just got back from teaching our plein air painting / photography workshop in Tuscany, and everyone had a fabulous time! Of course it would be hard not to when immersed in such beautiful scenery – gorgeous rolling hills that stretch for miles and mysteriously change shapes from the Tuscan sun light. I painted this piece right outside the front door of our villa, which was surrounded by amazing 360 degree views of the valleys and distant hill towns. Truly beautiful! With the constantly moving clouds causing the light to change minute to minute, our challenge was to paint the scene quickly and yet capture the mood created by the soft dramatic morning light.

If you’d like to see my recent Italian inspired landscapes, along with my students’ work, stop by my studio as part of the White Rock Artists’ Studio Tour this weekend in Dallas. WhiteRockArtists.com

If you’d like more information on our next painting / photography workshop in Greece this May or Tuscany September 2011, visit my website at

nikigulley.com/?page_id=13 for more information

or e-mail me at [email protected].

Top award winners exhibit in Frisco, TX

September 8, 2010

oil on canvas • 36″ x 36″

I am absolutely crazy about aspen trees. I love their textured peeling bark, the sound of their tinkling leaves blowing in the breeze, the way the light illuminates their yellow leaves and makes them glow, and the repetition of the trunks packed so tightly together. The first time I saw them was on a trip with my family to Colorado and I fell in love with the beautiful scenery and peacefulness I found immersed in the forest and surrounded by mountains. I wanted to share my love of nature in “Deep in the Woods” so that you, too, could enjoy that calm and the beauty of the aspens.

“Deep in the Woods” and several of my other new paintings will be hanging at the Frisco Municipal Complex in Frisco, TX as part of a two man show featuring my paintings and Josh Trefehen’s photographs, in honor of us winning best in show and the top award at Frisco’s Art in the Square Festival in March. The exhibit will be on display through Oct. 1st at 6101 Frisco Square Blvd., Frisco, TX 75034. For more information, see the August article of Frisco Style Magazine, friscostyle.com/index.php/component/content/article/43/189-august-2010-issue.

Climbing Trees at Cottonwood this weekend

April 30, 2010

48″ x 36″ oil on canvas

In this painting, I wanted you to you to experience the wonderment of looking up into the treetops â€“ 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.