Artists Of Texas Contemporary Paintings and Art

“Freedom II"  ©2019 Niki Gulley SOLD •  20" x 30" textured oil painting Just Delivered!  I was recently asked to create this whimsical girl on the swing for a commission by someone who had scene a similar painting of a little boy that I had painted hanging in one of my collector's homes. I was so thrilled to paint this for her! Filled with joy and movement, I hope "Freedom II" captures the spirit of swinging from sturdy branches on a lazy summer day. Using swirling shapes and strokes, in addition to the circular composition, all help to create the energy of the moment while fun pops of color add to the excitement. Life-size bare feet swing toward you adding to the fun of the moment. Set against rolling hills with home in the distance, you can fly high and soar on a dream. For more information on my contemporary impressionistic palette knife paintings, please e-mail  Niki Gulley. Or, check out my website at  nikigulley...

“Freedom"  ©2016 Niki Gulley SOLD •  24" x 48" textured mixed media painting on wrap around canvas Just Sold!  Filled with whimsy and movement, I hope "Freedom" captures the joy of swinging from sturdy branches on a lazy summer day. Using swirling shapes and strokes, in addition to the circular composition, all help to create the energy of the moment while fun pops of color add to the excitement. Life-size bare feet swing toward you adding to the fun of the moment. Set against rolling hills with home in the distance, you can fly high and soar on a dream. If you are interested in a canvas print of "Freedom," please e-mail me for details. For more information on my contemporary impressionistic palette knife paintings, please e-mail  Niki Gulley. Or, check out my website at  nikigulley.com.

“Momentum"  ©2016 Niki Gulley 24" x 48" textured mixed media painting on wrap around canvas Remember the days of running through piles of raked leaves, hearing the sounds of soft crunching underfoot as leaves go flying all around? A beautiful kaleidoscope of reds, golds and oranges on a crisp fall day! I painted Momentum to bring back those memories of a carefree time and place, when life was simple and playing with friends and siblings was the highlight of your day. Painted with thick oil paint and palette knives, I've left staccato strokes and diagonal lines to add to the feeling of motion, joy and energy while the three dimensionality of the paint, bring the scene to life. For more information on my contemporary impressionistic palette knife paintings, please e-mail  Niki Gulley. Or, check out my website at  nikigulley.com.

“Branching Out” ©2013 Niki Gulley SOLD •  18" x 24” textured oil painting Having grown up in Chicago, my husband and I return to the Midwest every summer, driving through miles of farmland between Texas and Illinois. While sometimes stark, I also find a peacefulness in the wide open countryside, a nostalgic tug on a simpler time from my childhood, and a fascination with the rustic beauty of each barn. I find it inspiring that so many of the structures were built by the farmers themselves from nearby trees, cut down and fashioned by hand. Each one has its unique personality, both pragmatic and aesthetic, a symbol that's stood the test of time despite a disappearing way of life. In "Branching Out," I wanted to juxtapose this sturdy oak framing an iconic red barn in the background, inviting you to climb its branches and relive childhood memories. For more information on my textured palette knife oil paintings, please e-mail me at  Niki Gulley. Or, please v...

Windy December 8" x 10" Oil on RayMar Cotton Panel Landscape Plein Air As I post this today the wind is howling and makes me feel as I did the day I painted this small painting.  It was a cold and windy day at White Rock Lake.  As you can imagine, it was hard keeping all of my painting equipment together.  I started with a brush, but ended up painting with a palette knife.  I was painting with a Monday morning plein air group.  Outdoor situations make you paint fast and deliberate.  I probably need to get out of the studio and paint outdoors more in 2015.  This painting is for sale....contact Kay  if you have comments or questions.  Thanks for looking....Kay

Are We Almost There Yet? 24" x 36" Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas Contemporary Landscape Painting Wide brush strokes and thick paint were put in with a brush on this canvas.  The canvas size was good for a broad landscape painting.  This painting is dry now, and ready to go to a gallery.  Thanks for looking at this blog....contact  Kay  with any comments or questions.  KMW

“Water Wall," Dallas Arboretum ©2013 Niki Gulley 9" x 12" Plein Air Oil Painting I painted this oil of the "Water Wall" at the Dallas Arboretum a couple of weeks ago as part of my demonstration during my plein-air painting workshop. I loved the golden light hitting the stucco and the interesting shadows that were created from the trellis above. Working with a combination of brush and palette knife, the final painting is full of color and texture. If you'd like to join me for one of our  Plein Air Painting / Photography Art Trek Workshops in Europe , please let me know and I can send you a brochure.   Upcoming trips include Carnival in Venice, Paris, Provence during lavender season, Tuscany and Cinque Terre/ Lake Como, Italy. For more details, visit nikigulley.com/artreks. To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, please visit  nikigulley.com. For more information on my plein air pa...

“Branching Out” ©2013 Niki Gulley 18" x 24” textured oil painting Having grown up in Chicago, my husband and I return to the Midwest every summer, driving through miles of farmland between Texas and Illinois. While sometimes stark, I also find a peacefulness in the wide open countryside, a nostalgic tug on a simpler time from my childhood, and a fascination with the rustic beauty of each barn. I find it inspiring that so many of the structures were built by the farmers themselves from nearby trees, cut down and fashioned by hand. Each one has its unique personality, both pragmatic and aesthetic, a symbol that's stood the test of time despite a disappearing way of life. In "Branching Out," I wanted to juxtapose this sturdy oak framing an iconic red barn in the background, inviting you to climb its branches and relive childhood memories. For more information on my textured palette knife oil paintings, please e-mail me at  Niki Gulley. Or, please visit my w...

Wide Open Sky 36" x 36" Oil on Heavy Duty Canvas Contemporary Landscape Painting My time is totally consumed by a huge commission at this time.  I am unable to get into the studio and paint just for the fun of painting.  I am really missing my easel and palette knife.  This painting is available for purchase.  Please contact me if you would like to know more about my art.  Thanks, Kay kay@kwyne.com

"Fire and Gold" ©2012 Niki Gulley oil on canvas • 36" x 48" I love the first signs of fall – the crisp feel in the air, the crunching of leaves underfoot, the beautiful autumn colors, and being totally immersed in nature in the middle of a forest without a care in the world. In Fire and Gold I wanted to recreate that joyful feeling, choosing warm reds and yellows of autumn and using energetic strokes with my paint to heighten that mood. Building up first thin transparent layers and then thick textured layers of oil paint also add to a certain glow and magic in the final piece. E-mail  Niki Gulley  for more information. Or, visit  NikiGulley.com  to see more of her contemporary landscape paintings.

“Passage of Illumination” ©2011 Niki Gulley SOLD • 48” x 60” textured oil on canvas Just Sold! Wander down this path that beckons you and lift your eyes heavenward to that cobalt vault lined by a rainbow of vivid greens and golds and gleaming crimson, purposely choosing these warm vibrant colors to suggest a hopeful future. Like an ancient chorus these joyful trees sing with dazzling colors, a call and respond to each other across the enticing path that traces verses of light and dark, hue and color, an alluring siren song leading you into the depths of this radiant, vanishing horizon. A painting rich in color and light, joy and energy its double bowed composition gently leads gently you into this magical, blissful destination. To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, visit NikiGulley.com . E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

"Kaleidoscope of Dreams" ©2012 by Niki Gulley textured oil painting Four 36" x 36" canvases to form a 72" x 72" quadriptych In this painting, I wanted you to feel like a little kid again – laying on the ground and staring up into the treetops without a care in the world. I hope you experience the joy of being surrounded by nature and the beauty in this autumn kaleidoscope of colors. If you are in Madison, WI this weekend, please stop by my booth at Art Fair on the Square to see more of my textured birch and aspen tree paintings. Art Fair on the Square Sat. July 14 • 9am – 6pm Sun. July 15 • 10am – 5pm Madison, WI • 227 State. St. Booth # 826, 828 on Mifflin St. between State St. and Wisconsin Ave. mmoca.org *** To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, visit NikiGulley.com . E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

“Passage of Illumination” ©2011 Niki Gulley 48” x 60” textured oil on canvas Wander down this path that beckons you and lift your eyes heavenward to that cobalt vault lined by a rainbow of vivid greens and golds and gleaming crimson, purposely choosing these warm vibrant colors to suggest a hopeful future. Like an ancient chorus these joyful trees sing with dazzling colors, a call and respond to each other across the enticing path that traces verses of light and dark, hue and color, an alluring siren song leading you into the depths of this radiant, vanishing horizon. A painting rich in color and light, joy and energy its double bowed composition gently leads gently you into this magical, blissful destination. To see more of my contemporary landscape paintings, visit NikiGulley.com . E-mail Niki Gulley for more information.

“Aqua Dreams” ©2011 Niki Gulley 36” x 60” textured oil on canvas When we arrived at this tranquil spot, the early morning light was very cool in color, but as the sun began to rise from the horizon, it shone this beautiful warm light that shimmered on the water’s surface and cast its hope of what was to come from the brand new day. I remember the peacefulness I felt in that moment, and a sense that anything was possible. In Aqua Dreams, by showing the contrast in the cool aqua/blues in the foreground waters against the warm golden glow on the distant pond’s edge, I wanted to share that feeling of hope and promise communicated by nature. E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her textured oil aspen and birch tree paintings. Or, to see more of her artwork, go to NikiGulley.com .

SOLD • 20" x 30" pastel by Niki Gulley Just completed – a commissioned pastel of the Chicago skyline, seen from the city cruise on Lake Michigan as the sun is setting and causing the water to sparkle. If you're interested in commissioning a painting of a special location or memory, please e-mail me at Niki Gulley for more information on my contemporary landscape paintings. See NikiGulley.com