New "Road of Promises" Palette Knife Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

"Road of Promises," Ghost Ranch, NM

16" x 20" textured oil by Niki Gulley

This summer my husband and I were asked to lecture for Southern Methodist University at the campus in Taos. We love the scenery in New Mexico so much that we decided to stay an extra week to paint and photograph. One day we drove out to Ghost Ranch where Georgia O'Keefe lived. I understand why she moved there! The scenery and dramatic lighting are stunning. 

That afternoon I decided to paint in another direction, attracted to the quickly moving fluffy clouds over the distant mountains and the lure of the road pulling me into the landscape. In the distance, the lake beckons as an oasis amongst the desert scenery. Working with palette knife, I set out to capture all of the different textures from the sandy foreground to the bushy sagebrush and from jagged rocks to gnarly shrubbery. I hope you, too, can feel the pull of the road of promises.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on her palette knife aspen and birch tree paintings.

See NikiGulley.com to see more of her contemporary landscape paintings.