Artists Of Texas Contemporary Paintings and Art

    "Standing Witness"©2022  Niki Gulley 16" x 20" textured oil painting Recently, we visited Santa Fe and to escape the heat we ventured up the Santo de Cristo mountains to cool down among the beautiful, refreshing aspen trees. I was attracted to this grove in particular with their beautiful textured white bark and their proximity and angles to each other. I decided to include the sentinels behind, also, to give you a sense of being surrounded by the peaceful forest. Dappled light casts diagonal shadows and causes the grasses to dance and sparkle. I hope you can feel the serenity of this rejuvenating place. Close up texture detail:  If interested in purchasing and for more details on "Standing Witness," please follow  nikigulley.com/ standing-witness / . E-mail  Niki Gulley  for more information on my birch and aspen tree oil paintings. To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit  nikigulley.com .

"Along the Shoreline II" ©2022 Niki Gulley 24" x 18" Textured oil painting I always love going to Turtle Creek, the natural oasis the city has created in the middle of Dallas. This painting was inspired from a time when you could actually climb down the rocks and enjoy the beautiful stream from below, being completely isolated from city noise and housing. I was drawn to these large abstract sweeping patterns of the water and land meeting with just a trickle of light illuminating the foliage in the distance and one lone trunk that has fallen. If you'd like to add "If a Tree Falls" to your art collection, please check out  nikigulley.com/if-a-tree-falls/. To see more of palette knife landscape paintings, visit  nikigulley.com . Or, E-mail  Niki Gulley for more details.

  "Weathered Cisterns" ©2022 Niki Gulley 18" x 12" textured oil painting • Grapevine, TX  I painted these water tanks and grain mill in the distance recently in Grapevine, TX on a bright, crisp winter morning. I loved the colorful rust contrasting against the blue-grays of the metal containers, and I worked with thick layers of oil paint and my palette knife to capture that texture. The whole scene had an industrial feel to it, so I chose to include the telephone pole and wires in the foreground to set that feel and also lead you into the scene. Adding a touch of whimsy to an otherwise hardened scene, I like the play of recent man made touches juxtaposed against 19th and 20th century modern technology. To purchase "Weathered Cisterns," go to  nikigulley.com/weathered-cisterns/. For more information on my textured contemporary landscape paintings, please e-mail  Niki Gulley. Or, check out my website at:  nikigulley.com.

  "Morning Glow, White Rock Lake" ©2022 Niki Gulley oil on canvas • 20" x 16" On a peaceful spring morning, I set up my easel at White Rock Lake to capture the sun rising behind this beautiful, tangled Cottonwood tree. I liked how the warm light showed off the tree's curves and textured bark, and I chose this vertical composition to show off its size and strength. In the distance, the sun glistens along the water's surface and I hope this scene lifts your spirits for what the day has to bring. For more information and framing options, check out  nikigulley.com/morning-glow/. *** To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit  nikigulley.com . E-mail -  Niki Gulley

   "Venetian Textures II" ©2022 Niki Gulley 16" x 12" textured oil on canvas panel  I started this piece during our Plein Air / Photography Art Trek Workshop that my husband, Scott Williams, and I lead in Venice, Italy. We had painted several other grand locations, but decided on day three to paint a more intimate vignette of the canals. Since the whole city is on water, I love how their "garage doors" are actually for their boats! In this painting, I wanted to focus on all of the wonderful architectural textures and age of the homes as seen in the peeling stucco, crumbling bricks and weathered wood. Luckily I had a steady stream of gondolas passing as I was painting so I could add one in to set the mood. To purchase and for more details, go to  nikigulley.com/venetian-textures/. *** To see more of my contemporary textured landscape paintings, please visit  nikigulley.com. For more information on my Venice and other travel paintings, please e-mail  Nik...

"Afternoon in the Park" ©2022 Niki Gulley 12" x 16" textured oil painting Recently collectors of mine invited us to stay with them at their beautiful home in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. I loved all of the gorgeous colors of the architecture and lush foliage blooming everywhere. Around almost every corner was a peaceful park inviting you to stroll through or just sit and enjoy the tranquility of the moment. If interested in purchasing this painting, please check out nikigulley.com/afternoon-in-the-park/. *** For more details on my other paintings from Mexico and recent travels, please e-mail  Niki Gulley. Or, check out my website at  nikigulley.com  to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

  "Tunnel of Light," Siena, Italy SOLD • 12" x 9" oil painting by Niki Gulley Day 3:   TUSCANY ART TREK - Siena Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop with Niki Gulley and Scott Williams Just Sold!  On the third day of our Tuscany Art Trek, we visited the Medieval hill town of Siena, with its incredible marble Duomo, great people-watching plaza, and interesting alleyways radiating out from the campo with something new to discover around every turn. While some of our group shopped, some photographed and others relaxed on the square, I set up in one of the quiet cobble streets to capture the textures of these ancient walls and mood of this unique city. For dinner that night, we treated ourselves to a delicious home-made Italian meal of pastas, truffles, pecorino cheese and some amazing red wine! A mid-afternoon gelato break! If you're interested in joining us on one of our upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please  visit  http://www.ArtTreks.org. ...

  "Flowing into Spring" ©2022 Niki Gulley SOLD • 24" x 12" textured oil painting on wrap around canvas, framed in an espresso floater frame Just Sold!  I painted this scene from the Dallas Arboretum on location when the weather was beautiful and the spring buds were in full bloom. I love tulips being one of the first flowers to announce that winter has officially ended, so I focused on these colorful red and white striped ones in the foreground, which contrast so well against the complimentary green leaves and grasses. I also liked how their height leads you back into the distant flower beds and onto the Degolyer house in the background, so I chose this vertical panorama format to accentuate that feeling. Loaded with thick oil paint, texture and movement, I hope you can feel the joy that spring is in the air! For more details on my other Texas paintings, please e-mail  Niki Gulley. Or, check out my website at  nikigulley.com  to see more of my contemporary...

  "Just Peachy"  ©2022 Niki Gulley 12" x 16" textured oil painting Recently collectors of mine invited us to stay with them at their beautiful home in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. I loved all of the gorgeous colors the houses were painted and the tropical lush foliage blooming everywhere.  The bougainvillea was bursting with bountiful blooms in intense pinks inviting you to stop and admire its beauty. Before it was gone, I had to capture this dramatic morning sun that was causing this peach home to glow and the light to dance across the scene in contrast to the deep shadows. If you'd like to find out more details or add "Just Peachy" to your art collection, visit  nikigulley.com/just-peachy/. *** For more details on my other paintings from Mexico and recent travels, please e-mail  Niki Gulley. Or, check out my website at  nikigulley.com  to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

  "Ruby Bouquet" ©2022 Niki Gulley 12" x 16” textured oil painting I absolutely love it when I come across a whole field of wildflowers – there is something about the transformation of a single dainty flower into a dense explosion of color that inspires awe and delights your senses.  Inspired by our travels to Italy, cypress trees rise out of the vast open landscape signaling that you have arrived in Tuscany! Perched on a hilltop with its long curving driveway, this villa is set against the perfect backdrop for a romantic escape.  Rows of ruby blooms draw your eye back to the rolling hills and beautiful billowing clouds. Painted with palette knife and thick oil paint, this canvas is loaded with movement, color and dimension. To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit  nikigulley.com . E-mail  Niki Gulley for more information on my wildflower and poppy field oil paintings. *** If you're interested in joining us on one of our upcomin...

  "Tuscan Vista" ©2022 Niki Gulley 12" x 16” textured oil painting I painted "Tuscan Vista" from the villa we stay in when my husband and I are leading our Foodie Trek in Italy. The late afternoon light was so beautiful how it cast its golden glow on the landscape and stone farmhouses, and I had to capture it before it was gone. Uplifting poppies frame the foreground as the serpentine roads lead you up over the hills and into the distance. I hope you enjoy the escape to beautiful Tuscany, too, when you gaze at my painting! To see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings, visit  nikigulley.com . E-mail  Niki Gulley for more information on my wildflower and poppy field oil paintings. *** If you're interested in joining us on one of our upcoming Art Treks or Foodie Treks, please  visit  http://www.ArtTreks.org.    2022 Schedule Alsace  Art Trek - Aug. 20-27 • Tuscany  Foodie Trek  - Oct. 8-15 2023 Schedule Venice - Carniv...

  "Rhapsody in Bloom II" ©2022 Niki Gulley 20" x 20" textured oil painting I painted these cheerful tulips from life in my backyard garden. With all of our rain this year, I had a bumper crop and wanted to capture the joy I felt seeing them signaling that winter was finally over and spring had begun! Created with palette knife and thick paint, this piece is bursting with color and texture. Blurring out the background, you can focus on each individual flower. Creating a circular composition within the square format creates a harmony and flow, while unblended diagonal marks add to the energy and happiness of the moment. I hope these tulips brighten your day and lift your spirits, too. *** E-mail  Niki Gulley  for more information on my tulip and contemporary floral paintings. Or, check out my website at  nikigulley.com  to see more of my contemporary landscape palette knife paintings.

       “Reaching New Heights" ©2022 Niki Gulley SOLD  • 48” x 36" textured mixed media painting  on 1.5" wrap around canvas with the painting continuing around the edges Just Sold!  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 as the clouds drift by. Choosing warm yellows, reds and greens and utilizing 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 paintings, please e-mail me at  Niki Gulley. Or, please visit my website at   NikiGulley.com  to see more of my contemporary landscape paintings.  

    “Whispers in Time” ©2022 Niki Gulley 30” x 30” textured oil painting Colorado’s celebrated quaking aspen trees stand arrow straight in the valleys and  up and down the hills.  Slim white trunks sing out against the forest background and each leaf provides a sparkling symphony of notes whispering through the mountains. Flames of yellow leaves flicker against autumn’s burning reds  and the deep, cool blue mountain streaked with late light. This painting captures the breathtaking colors of Colorado in the fall, the Aspens at their most beautiful, and the peaceful rustling murmur and musical sigh of the fluttering leaves. **** If you'd like to see more of my work in person and you're in Columbus, OH this weekend, please stop by my booth at the Columbus Arts Festival: Columbus Arts Festival Columbus, OH Downtown riverfront in the Scioto Mile Booth #M545 on Main St. Fri. June 10 • 11am – 9pm Sat. June 11 • 10am – 9pm Sun. June 12 • 10am – 5pm columbusartsfestival....

        “Cacophony" ©2022 Niki Gulley 30” x 30" textured mixed media painting  on 1.5" wrap around canvas with the painting continuing around the edges Enjoying the concert of aspen leaves rustling in the breeze and the beauty of fall ablaze with color, I felt invigorated as I began painting this aspen forest. The setting was so mesmerizing and rejuvenating that I wanted to communicate that joyful feeling of discovery. Filling the canvas with energetic staccato strokes and bold colors, in addition to gently arching the tree trunks reaching towards the sky, all add to that uplifting feeling of being immersed in nature's symphony.  *** For more details and to purchase "Cacophony," visit nikigulley.com/cacophony/. If you're  in Columbus this weekend, please stop by my exhibit at the Columbus Arts Festival: Columbus Arts Festival Columbus, OH Downtown riverfront in the Scioto Mile Booth #M545 on Main St. Fri. June 10 • 11am – 9pm Sat. June 11 • 10am – 9pm ...

  Soaring High ©2022 Niki Gulley 30" x 48" • Textured mixed media on canvas I wanted this painting to be filled with uplifting colors and energetic strokes all leading you skyward, to soar amongst the clouds. Aspen trees reach towards the heavens while gentle breezes cause the sky to dance while you lay on the ground gazing in wonderment. Happy hues, whimsical shapes and a feeling of movement, hopefully transport you to a carefree childhood moment where all of your worries drift away and dreams are created. You can see more of my work this weekend at the Columbus Arts Festival: Columbus Arts Festival Columbus, OH Downtown riverfront in the Scioto Mile Booth #M545 on Main St. Fri. June 10 • 11am – 9pm Sat. June 11 • 10am – 9pm Sun. June 12 • 10am – 5pm columbusartsfestival.org/ **** If you'd like to purchase "Soaring High," please check out  nikigulley.com/sparking-the-imagination/. To see more of my palette knife aspen and birch tree paintings, please visit  nik...

"Sparking the Imagination" ©2022 Niki Gulley   36" x 36" textured mixed media on 1.5" gallery wrap canvas with the painting continuing around the edges     With "Sparking the Imagination," I wanted you to feel that child-like wonder of staring up into the treetops, mesmerized by the scene overhead.  I've arranged the trunks in a spiral pattern so that you have a sense of laying on the ground, surrounded by woodland, connecting with nature and the heavens above.  Flowing  in an ascending circular pattern, transitioning from spring, summer, winter, fall and back again to spring, reminds us of the cyclical forces of life and what our place can be within it.  If you'd like to see more of my work in person and you're in Columbus, OH this weekend, please stop by my booth at the Columbus Arts Festival: Columbus Arts Festival Columbus, OH Downtown riverfront in the Scioto Mile Booth #M545 on Main St. Fri. June 10 • 11am – 9pm Sat. June 11 • 10am –...