Painting in the Texas Hill Country with Impressionist Niki Gulley

 

“Living History III” ©2023 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 24″ x 12″ textured acrylic painting on canvas

“For me, wildflowers are joy-giving. They have enriched my life and fed my soul and given beautiful memories to sustain me.”
– Lady Bird Johnson

Just Sold! Surrounded by a sea of blue – Scott captured me in my element here! Not only were the bluebonnets and wildflowers magnificent this year, but I just adore the live oaks, too. Their massive stature, their gnarly, twisting branches and the umbrella of shade they cast, just make me want to paint them over and over again. Leaving bluebonnets large and prominent in the foreground, rows and rows of cobalt lift your spirits and lead you back to the shelter of the grand old oak. I hope you, too, can enjoy the beauty of Texas in all of its spring glory.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her textured palette knife landscape paintings.

 

To see more of my contemporary bluebonnet paintings, please visit nikigulley.com.
 

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

 

 

New Bluebonnet Painting from the Texas Hill Country by Niki Gulley

 

“Spring’s Brushstrokes II,” Texas Hill Country ©2023 Niki Gulley
20″ x 10″ textured acrylic painting on canvas

 

I painted these Texas bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush on location with extremely thick paint and palette knives to achieve depth and texture. It turns out the barn was built by the homeowner, and I was so taken with its beautiful craftsmanship. I chose a vertical composition so that the wildflowers in the foreground would draw your eye straight to its character and status. Leaving out extraneous background details also reinforces that feeling. 
 
The resulting image comes to life and is loaded with color and energy. In this wildflower series, I’ve painted the edges of the 1 and 1/2 inch deep stretcher bars with the scene continuing around the sides so that it can be hung without a frame, or I have the option of an espresso floater frame which draws your attention into the painting.

 

 
 
To see more of Niki Gulley’s textured landscape paintings please check out NikiGulley.com,
 

 

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on this piece, or more her Texas bluebonnet and wildflower paintings.
 
 
 https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/
 
 
 

New “Golden Undulation” Textured Painting by Niki Gulley from Tuscany

“Golden Undulation,” Tuscany ©2023 Niki Gulley

10″ x 20″ Textured Acrylic Painting on Canvas Panel

My husband and I stumbled upon this quintessential Tuscan farmhouse while out for a scenic drive this spring. Perched alone on top of this hill, we loved how the incredibly long cypress lined driveway was silhouetted by the sky. The soft light caused the hills to glow the most intense golden chartreuse, and I felt compelled to capture the beautiful scene. Unfortunately that meant I had to set up my easel alongside a rather busy road. Undeterred by the constant parade of racing traffic and horn honking semi trucks, I quickly got to work in order to paint these gorgeous clouds and light before they were gone.

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Next summer we will be leading a Foodie Trek to Spain and Tuscany, and an Art Trek to Iceland, so if you’ve always dreamed of painting, photographing and sightseeing in Europe, please join us for one of these amazing trips! Details are available on ArtTreks.org.
 

 

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https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/
 
 
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Please check out my website at NikiGulley.com, NikiGulley.com to see more of my impressionistic palette knife paintings.

 

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her contemporary Italy and European paintings.

“Bundle of Sunshine” Sunflower Palette Knife Painting by Niki Gulley

“Bundle of Sunshine” ©2023 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 24″ x 12″ textured oil painting on wrap around canvas, framed in an espresso floater frame

Just sold! I was awestruck by these massive fields of sunflowers blooming in Provence. Seeing this brilliant carpet of gold, with its sea of faces smiling towards the sun, just made me feel happy and I wanted you to experience that joy, too. Exaggerating the tile-roofed house in the distance also adds to that cheerful, whimsical mood of feeling content and like you’ve found your home. Created with palette knife and oil paint, “Bundle of Sunshine” practically leaps off the canvas and comes to life with its vibrant yellow petals and extremely thick three-dimensional oil paint.

 

For more details on my other floral 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’re interested in joining us on one of our upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please let us know. Spaces fill up quickly!
 

 

For more information on upcoming Treks, please visit http://www.ArtTreks.org.

 

“Sunshine and Gladiolus” by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

  

 
“Sunshine and Gladiolus” ©2023 Niki Gulley
SOLD • 24″ x 12″ textured mixed media painting on canvas

Just sold! I saw these cheerful sunflowers and vibrant ruby red Gladiolus planted in my neighborhood every time I got in my car to ran errands  and they were so bright and colorful, I just had to paint them! So this week, I dragged my body out of bed at 5 a.m. to capture them at sunrise before our Texas heat reached 100 degrees. While not normally an early riser, it was well worth it to bask in their glory while I was painting. I hope you, too, can enjoy their sunshine and start your day with a smile.

 
E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my sunflower and textured palette knife floral paintings.
 
To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.
 
 
 
https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/
 
 

New “Channeling Van Gogh” Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

 

“Channeling Van Gogh” ©2023 Niki Gulley

Last fall I was deeply honored when the Dallas Museum of Art asked me to teach a plein air painting workshop in conjunction with their exhibit “Van Gogh and The Olive Groves.” I’ve always loved the impressionists so this was such a fun project! To be able to demonstrate and show the museum’s members how to channel their inner Van Gogh was a perfect match. Setting our easels up in the Arbor Hills Nature area in Plano, they each chose a tree and then experimented with color and mark making with the goal of conveying their feelings and impression of the scene. I chose this beauty for its grandeur and shape, causing my strokes to dance with energy and vibrancy, all in the spirit of Vincent!

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E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on palette knife landscape paintings.

To see more of my contemporary impressionistic paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

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

 

New Uplifting Sunflower Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

“Happy Expressions II” ©2023 Niki Gulley
24″ x 48” textured mixed media painting on wrap around canvas
 

 I wanted this piece to be uplifting and full of color and energy, just like how I feel to be surrounded by a joyful field of sunflowers! Perky, circular faces smile at you as their golden petals dance across the canvas. Painting these blooms full-sized helps to bring them to life and hopefully transport you to this happy location. Including surprising pops of vivid reds, purples and turquoises keep your eye moving throughout the scene, seeing new things each time you look at it, and adds to the jubilant feeling.

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

 

“Looking Skyward” Uplifting Treetop Painting by Niki Gulley

  

   

“Looking Skyward” ©2023 Niki Gulley

30″ x 40″” textured mixed media on canvas

 

In this painting, I wanted you to you to experience the joy of looking up into the treetops – just like you did when you were a kid. Lying on the ground, not a care in the world, you gaze in wonderment. Choosing electric yellows and reds and flinging paint in multiple swirling layers add to that playful, childlike whimsy. I hope you are transported back to a happy, carefree time and place!

 
 
If interested in purchasing or for more details on “Looking Skyward,” please visit the Statton Gallery in Eureka Springs, AR:
The Statton Gallery
 
137 Spring Street
 
Eureka Springs, AR 72632
 

 

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E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my aspen and birch paintings.

To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

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

 

“Fibonacci’s Dream” Abstract Aspen Painting by Niki Gulley

      

“Fibonacci’s Dream” ©2023 Niki Gulley
36” x 36″ textured mixed media painting 
on 1.5″ wrap around canvas with the painting continuing around the edges
 
In this painting I wanted you to feel that child-like wonder of staring up into the treetops, mesmerized by the scene overhead. I chose uplifting yellows and golds contrasted against a turquoise blue sky with gentle clouds drifting by to lift your spirits. I’ve arranged the aspens in a spiral pattern so that you have a sense of laying on the ground, surrounded by the forest, connecting with nature and the heavens above.
Utilizing thick, curving paint strokes also adds to that joyful, playful feeling of hope and discovery.
 
To purchase this painting, go to https://www.nikigulley.com/fibonaccis-dream/.
 
For more information on my textured aspen paintings, please e-mail me at Niki Gulley.
 

 

Or, please visit my website at  NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary landscape paintings.

 

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

 

New Palette Knife Poppy Painting by Texas Artist Niki Gulley

    

 “Bursts of Brilliance – 6” ©2023 Niki Gulley

16″ x 16″ textured mixed media painting on canvas • framed in espresso

I hope my new square textured paintings bring joy, color and energy to your day! Designed to lift your spirits and add a burst of brightness to your walls, these wildflower abstractions allow your imagination to wander and fill in your own story. These paintings look great hung alone or in a grouping. 

For details on more of my poppy, bluebonnet and sunflower paintings in this series, please e-mail Niki Gulley.
 

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

 

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