Artists Of Texas Contemporary Paintings and Art

“Reclining Thoughts” ©2013 Niki Gulley 48" x 36” textured oil painting on wrap around 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. Lying on the ground, not a care in the world, you gaze in wonderment as the clouds drift by. Choosing playful colors and thick chunky staccato strokes add to that childlike whimsy and I hope you are transported back to a happy, carefree time and place. For more information on my textured palette knife birch and aspen tree oil paintings, please e-mail  Niki Gulley. Or, visit  NikiGulley.com  to see more of my contemporary landscape paintings. If you're in the Chicago area, please stop by my booth at the 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  57thstreetartfair.org ...

“Sounds of Autumn” ©2010 Niki Gulley Pastel • 14” x 11” The Chicago Botanic Garden is always beautiful, but in this pastel I wanted to capture it on a perfect autumn day when the native grasses and fall foliage have turned their vibrant autumn colors. I like this view looking across the peaceful lake towards the carillon chiming in the distance, playing in time with the trickling sounds of the wind flickering the fall leaves. If you’re in the Chicago area, stop by my booth at the Oakbrook Fine Art Invitational to see “Sounds of Autumn” and more of my recent paintings. oakbrookcenter.com To learn how to paint with pastels, join me in my Adult Art Lessons, Playing with Color, this fall. Classes fill up quickly, so visit NikiGulley.com for more information. Or, e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com to register or with any questions. NikiGulley.com

"Poppy Passion" ©2010 Niki Gulley 18" x 36" oil painting Our upcoming workshop that we're teaching in Tuscany makes me think about the gorgeous poppy fields blooming along the rolling Italian hills in springtime. To think that such a delicate flower can produce that powerful explosion of color when planted in mass boggles my senses. Seeing that sudden burst of intense orange or red against the azure blue sky after miles of green countryside is quite amazing. I love how complimentary colors, like blue and orange, vibrate when placed next to each other and I wanted to communicate that beauty and excitement in "Poppy Passion," while reliving some of my favorite vacation memories from Tuscany – the warmth of the people, the beauty of the rolling hills and vineyards, the delicious, savory slow-grown food and wine and enjoying the laid-back, smell-the-roses time with my loved ones. If you like to see "Poppy Passion" in person and you're in the ...

“Transitional Tones” ©2010 Niki Gulley 12” x 12” oil on canvas 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 for companion paintings or stop by my painting booth this weekend in Chicago at the Lincoln Park Arts & Music Festival to see more of my textured palette knife paintings in person. For more details, go to chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=189. Or, e-mail me at Niki@NikiGulley.com with any questions or comments.

"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 Niki@NikiGulley.com with any questions. Visit my website at NikiGulley.com .

"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 Niki@NikiGulley.com. Or, if you're in the Chicago area, stop by my booth at Evanston's Fountain Square Art Festival June 26th & 27th, chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=123 . NikiGulley.com