Today we’d like to introduce you to Niki Gulley.
Niki, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My passion for painting began in grade school when I had to draw something as mundane as shoes for art class and loved every minute of it. Seeing a spark of enthusiasm, my parents signed me up for private art lessons and I have been hooked ever since. Following my childhood in Glenview, Illinois, I relocated to Dallas to pursue an art major at Southern Methodist University.
Upon graduating I entered the world of advertising, working as art director for a Dallas magazine. After a few years passed by, I felt like something was missing. So, I started painting again during nights, weekends and any time I could find a free moment. This is what I had been missing; this satisfied the void and I began to feel fulfilled again. Ten years later I segued from advertising to live my life’s dream of being a full-time artist. For the past 15 years I have been pursuing that dream.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
At an early age, having found that the grandeur of nature has the ability to uplift the soul, my feet became set upon the path that would guide my artistic life. This emotional view of the world is something that I’ve tried to translate through my canvas so that the viewer can journey with me. Having been inspired by the impressionists, I strive to capture the vibrant energy and intrinsic beauty of our natural surroundings.
In order to achieve the desired mood for my work, I combine my impressionistic flair for painting with a sculptor’s technique, thereby creating multi-dimensional images, often by applying oil paint thickly using palette knives. The resulting style achieves a richness of depth that explodes with color, flows with light, and evokes an emotional response, so as to uplift one’s spirits and suggest childlike wonder. Utilizing vivid colors, contrasting the play of light and shadow to create drama, and using broad energetic strokes also add to a sense of vitality and motion, bringing my landscapes to life so that the natural settings almost dance.
My impressionistic interpretations are derived out of feelings of pure joy and when my work resonates with the viewer, it’s from this shared human experience that I gain satisfaction as an artist.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
Getting your work seen in person in a digital world
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Locally, my studio is located in East Dallas and people are welcome to visit by appointment. I also participate in local art shows, such as Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson and Arts cape at the Arboretum. I’m exhibiting at two galleries, The Good Art Company in Fredericksburg, TX and Seaside Gallery in Pismo Beach, CA.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6646 Fisher Rd.
Dallas, TX 75214 - Website: nikigulley.com
- Phone: 214-803-5812
- Email: niki@Nikigulley.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikigulley/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/niki.gulley
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikigulley/
Image Credit:
Photos by Scott Williams
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