Tag: palette knife painting

Fountain Square Art Festival this weekend

June 23, 2010

“Spinning through Time” ©2010 Niki Gulley
36″ x 60″ oil on canvas
In “Spinning through Time,” I wanted you to escape from the heat of summer and life’s day to day responsibilities and enjoy a peaceful lake retreat. I purposely chose cool colors to add to this feeling of tranquility and I liked how the arrangement of the trees framed the lake in almost a circular pattern, suggesting the cyclical flow of nature. Soothing waters and being immersed in natural surroundings can have such a cathartic effect, and I hope you experience that relaxing moment in “Spinning through Time.”
I’ll be exhibiting this painting and several of my other new chunky oil paintings at Evanston’s Fountain Square Art Festival this weekend. If you’re in the Chicago area, I hope you can stop by the show. For more information, see chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=123.
Or, e-mail me at [email protected] with any questions.

Fountain Square Art Festival – Evanston, IL – this weekend

June 21, 2010


“Transitional Tones II” ©2010 Niki Gulley
12” x 12” oil painting

I created these birch trees with palette knife and extremely thick oil paint to achieve texture and suggest the energy found in nature. The image is painted around the sides of the 1.5 inch deep gallery wrap canvas so that it looks three-dimensional and can be hung as is without a frame for a contemporary look. These chunky birch paintings look great in pairs and threes.

See NikiGulley.com/?page_id=229 for companion paintings or visit my art booth at the Fountain Square Art Festival this weekend in Evanston, IL to see more of my textured palette knife paintings in person. For details on the show, go to chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=123.
Or, e-mail me at [email protected] with any questions or comments.

Transitional Tones at Stone Arch Art Festival, MN

June 18, 2010

“Transitional Tones” ©2010 Niki Gulley
12” x 12” oil painting

I created these birch trees with palette knife and extremely thick oil paint to achieve texture and suggest the energy found in nature. The image is painted around the sides of the 1.5 inch deep gallery wrap canvas so that it looks three-dimensional and can be hung as is without a frame for a contemporary look. These chunky birch paintings look great in pairs and threes.

See NikiGulley.com/?page_id=229 for companion paintings or visit my art booth at the Stone Arch Art Festival in Minneapolis this weekend to see more of my textured palette knife paintings in person. For details, go to StoneArchFestival.com.

Or, e-mail me at [email protected] with any questions or comments.

Stone Arch Art Festival – this weekend

June 16, 2010

“Natural Rhythms” ©2010 Niki Gulley
36″ x 48″ oil painting

I find being immersed in nature can have such an uplifting effect, and I wanted to share that feeling with you in Natural Rhythms so I chose pure, intense colors to create a vibrant autumn scene that just makes you feel happy and alive when you look at it. The repetition in the birch trunks and fallen leaves, combined with the flickering sounds of the breeze rustling the foliage reminded me of a symphony in the forest so I titled this painting Natural Rhythms.

If you’re in the Minneapolis area this weekend, visit my art booth at the Stone Arch Art Festival. See StoneArchFestival.com for details on the art show.

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

Zen Garden oil painting

June 14, 2010

“Zen Garden” ©2010 Niki Gulley
10″ x 8″ oil painting
Having grown up in Chicago, this painting is inspired by the Japanese Garden at the Chicago Botanic Gardens since I’ve always loved their grounds ever since I was a little kid. In fact, I painted this piece from a photo I took in high school and have held onto all of these years! I thought it would be fun to paint the scene in thick oil with palette knives. I especially like how the broken color strokes on the water make it look like its surface is shimmering in the sun.
To purchase Zen Garden, e-mail me at [email protected].
Or, if you’re in the Chicago area, stop by my booth at Evanston’s Fountain Square Art Festival June 26th & 27th,

Autumn Birch Study II

June 5, 2010

7″ x 5″ oil by Niki Gulley

This autumn birch study is painted with extremely thick oil paint and a palette knife. I like how the staccato strokes add to the sense of movement in the leaves and grasses, and even makes it feel like the forest is dancing with life.
To purchase this painting, e-mail me at [email protected].

Autumn Birch Study

June 3, 2010

7″ x 5″ oil by Niki Gulley

I painted this fall birch study with extremely thick oil paint and a palette knife. I love the movement in the strokes which contribute to the feeling of the leaves blowing in the breeze and the energy found in nature.

Birch Trees oil painting

June 1, 2010

Birch trees oil painting by Niki Gulley • 5″ x 7″
This birch tree study was painted with extremely thick oil paint and palette knives.

Thailand beaches oil painting

May 29, 2010

Ocean Study
oil painting by Niki Gulley • 5″ x 7″
This ocean study was inspired by the fascinating karst rock formations and gorgeous turquoise waters that we saw on our trip to the Phuket area of Thailand. It was created with thick oil paint and palette knives.

Sunset Ocean study

May 27, 2010

Sunset Study
oil painting by Niki Gulley • 5″ x 7″
This sunset study was painted with thick oil paint and palette knives.