"Life is an onion and one peels it crying."--French proverb
Escapism. Defying time. Serenity and solace. Reliving treasured moments...the reasons I paint and make artwork. The creative acts are surely the most pleasant and yet difficult of all. Color and form are special friends. The challenge of perfecting artwork is monumental and exhilarating. This effort has grown to be both friend and family, which are the two most important aspects of my life. Judaica is my most challenging art...Hebrew and I don't always get along!
I'm mainly self-taught in art, relying on intuition, experimentation, benefiting from studying books, visiting museums, galleries and learning painting techniques from other artist friends/relatives. I've studied pastels with Clive Tyler, taken oils with Daniel Edmondson. My newest medium is painting on glass, inspired by an Italian master, bringing this art technique home and applying my own topics. My oils are mainly with palette knife.
This art style might be called "abstract realism", an oxymoron in its own right. Favorite contemporary artists include Cruciani, L Horowitz, Berberian, S Stork, C Tyler, D Edmondson.
"Life is short, use color!"
Niki Gulley’s passion for painting began in grade school when she had to draw something as mundane as shoes for art class, and loved every minute of it. Her parents enrolled her in private lessons and she was hooked. Following her childhood in Chicago, Niki relocated to Dallas to pursue an art major at SMU. Since she disliked the freezing Illinois winters, Dallas seemed like the place to stay after graduating.
Next, Gulley entered the world of advertising, working as art director for a local magazine. After a few years passed, Niki felt like something was missing. So she started painting again every free moment. This is what she had been missing and she began to feel fulfilled again.
It is from this feeling of true joy that Niki translates onto canvas. She seeks to capture the beauty of our landscape, utilizing vivid colors in oil paint and pastels to convey a particular mood. Gulley invites you to reconnect with nature and escape day-to-day responsibilities along with her in these creations.
