Daily Painters of Texas: Dallas Arboretum

Daisies and Pumpkins was one of my six demonstrations in oils from fresh flowers in Rockwall, Texas last weekend. Tomorrow I fly to Kansas City to teach, and I'm excited to see what kind of beautiful colors we can rustle up at the local flower shops and nurseries. Last year we found hollyhocks and you may recall we painted a red vase that belonged to Connie Turner that was dappled with tiny little flowers (the same red vase that I greatly admired, and said a tearful goodbye to when I left!). Stay tuned to the bloggy for postings from Kansas City, and all the early fall colors your heart desires!

In the meantime, if you haven't been out to see the incredible pumpkin display at the Dallas Arboretum, this is a great time to visit. I'll be teaching my only one day class there October 25, so if you'd like to get a sample of what happens in one of my workshops, why not join me in the most beautiful garden in Texas! Read more...

Dallas Arboretum blooms

Monday, September 29, 2014

"Butterfly on Elephant Ears" Arboretum -25"x19" pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

"Butterfly on Elephant Ears" 25"x19" pastel
© Niki Gulley

Vibrant yellows with a rainbow of colors in the background.

What a treat to find this little guy taking a break on these elephant ears at the Dallas Arboretum. The black and orange of this monarch butterfly caught my eye but the curves of the ears lead me right to him.
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For more information on "Butterfly on Elephant Ears," please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, visit NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings and pastels.

Friday, September 26, 2014

"Taking Flight" London - 24" x 18" - pastel pastel by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

"Taking Flight" 24"x18" Pastel - Dallas Arboretum
© Niki Gulley

Swirling background with vibrant colors and deep undertones.

The pair of Irises was found at the Dallas Arboretum, one of my favorite places to in Dallas. I love the way the petals fell showing the various shades of purple.
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For more information on "Taking Flight," please e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or, visit NikiGulley.com to see more of my contemporary impressionistic landscape paintings and pastels.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Earths Children Hydrangeas and a Dallas Arboretum Honor - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1416156

Earth's Children Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

Class Demonstration

20X16

Oil on Archival Panel

Check out My New Video Here!

Earth's Children Hydrangeas was one of my class demonstrations in Florida last week. I finally got all my boxes unpacked and now I'm re-packing for Lafayette, Louisiana next week. I was delighted to receive word that my painting, Ribbons in the Sky White Tulips was juried into the Dallas Arboretum Garden Gallery for 2014. Competition is fierce to be included in the show which helps launch the Dallas Blooms Festival - I had to rush to the framer this morning. After all these years, he has grown used to my outlandish requests and takes them all in stride. Framing wet paintings, custom framing multiple paintings in 24 hours for last minute show entries, he is utterly unflappable and always does a beautiful job. Something tells me the big box framers would laugh me out the door if I even dared to ask for such special handling.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Ribbons in the Sky White Tulips - Flower Paintings of the Dallas Arboretum by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1398741

Ribbons in the Sky White Tulips

by Nancy Medina

14X14

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Check out My New Video Here!

Ribbons in the Sky White Tulips is the newest daily painting in Flower Mound Studio, based on the tulips of the Dallas Arboretum. I love painting white flowers. There are so many colors in white, purples, greens, yellows, blues. In color theory class at university, our final exam was a still life of all white objects. The professor brought in about 100 items and placed them on a huge table in the center of the room. Read more...

Tulips on the easel in Flower Mound Studio

Monday, February 24, 2014

Tender Rain Hydrangeas and a Dallas Arboretum Flower Painting Workshop by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1397893

Tender Rain Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

20X20

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Check out My New Video Here!

Tender Rain Hydrangeas is the newest painting in Flower Mound Studio, celebrating a new vase I received from a dear friend. You are invited to join me for my June 21 workshop at the Dallas Arboretum. I love teaching flower painting in the most beautiful gardens in Texas, and this will be a great time of year to get dozens of flower photos during the lunch break! Okay, dozens is a conservative estimate. I've been known to fill up an entire cell phone's worth of memory in 2 hours at the Arboretum before. My husband seems to find this quite astounding, though I'm sure all of you, my flower fanatic friends, are sympathetic to the cause....!

Dallas Arboretum Flower Painting Workshop

June 21, 2014

9 am to 3 pm

Registration Information

The studio models take a bow....

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Oasis Delphiniums and a Video of My Favorite Place to Paint at the Dallas Arboretum by Nancy Medina

Oasis Delphiniums and Cherry Blossoms

by Nancy Medina

16X12

Oil on Archival Panel

Check out My New Video Here!

My favorite place to paint at the Dallas Arboretum is near the delphinium beds just to the right as you enter the gardens, close to the stone bridge. The delphs grow in thick clusters of fuschia, pale purples and deep cobalt blues, swaying in the breeze on four foot tall stalks. The hubby and I rent one of the red wagons at the concierge desk and load up all my painting goodies and easel accoutrements, along with a picnic lunch, and head to this spot. Visit my art blog for a video and a photo tour of my favorite place to paint at the Arboretum!

You Are Invited ~ Join me at Artscape

at the Dallas Arboretum, April 2014!

Hey, where did I put my hat?!

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Clear Skies Sunflower and a Dallas Arboretum Cherry Blossom Path by Nancy Medina

Clear Skies Sunflower

by Nancy Medina

16X12

Oil on Archival Panel

Clear Skies Sunflower was my afternoon class demonstration in Melbourne, Florida, making its debut in Flower Mound Studio today. This evening I finished work on a 48X24 Cherry Blossom Path based on the flowers of the Dallas Arboretum, and I posted the painting on my blog today. I'm looking forward to seeing all of these colors in bloom again next spring during the Dallas Blooms Festival, I'll be setting up for a plein air day and sure hope my painty pals will join me. Stay tuned to the art blog for details to come! My November 9 Dallas Arboretum class is full, but I still have seats open in my 3 day workshops in North Texas in the next few weeks. Put a little joy in your brush and let's make brilliant color bloom!

Friday, October 11, 2013

Purple Pirouette Larkspur by Floral Artist Nancy Medina

Purple Pirouette Larkspur

by Nancy Medina

16X12

Palette Knife/Oil on Archival Panel

Purple Pirouette Larkspur was one of my afternoon paint-along lessons for my Rockwall, Texas workshop last week. Every time I see "stock" flowers in the grocer, I grab up bundles and run to the checkout cheering. The color is so intense, so rewarding, and these flowers are so simple in their beauty. It's like finding the perfect designer dress on the 1/2 off rack at Nordstrom's the day before your 20th class reunion. Okay make that your 30th class reunion, and shoes to match! I confess purples push all my buttons, but most of all this lesson for my students was about color temperature. Warm purples and cool purples, next to one another, give a burst of color that is simply gratifying. Color in all its glory, and that's why I pick up the paint brush every day, it's all about the joy of color!
My Dallas Arboretum class on November 9 is almost full, just 2 seats left, so I hope you can join me there. The fall pumpkin display, the colorful mums, and the beautiful flower gardens are worth the trip!

Larkspur make a great backdrop for any bouquet!

Friday, March 29, 2013

Lacy Ladies Sunflowers and a Surprise Visitor by Texas Artist Nancy Medina

Lacy Ladies Sunflowers and Daisies

by Nancy Medina

Rockwall Art League Demonstration

16X20

Oil on Archival Panel

Lacy Ladies Sunflower and Daisies was my demonstration yesterday evening for the Rockwall Art League in Rockwall, Texas, a lovely little town on the lake that has grown by leaps and bounds since long ago when I worked for one of the small newspapers in that area! It was tons of fun to return to my old stomping grounds and visit with a group of enthusiastic artists, right next to a park.

Just before the painting festivities began, guess who ran in the door, wagging his tail and looking all fat and jiggley and happy? Webster the Pug! He and his servant were on the way to his car and decided to stop in and check out the refreshment table. This was definitely a sign that the evening would be grand and lots of fun! Betty Jean Hoaglund did a marvelous job of keeping me on track and on time, and let me paint sunflowers 'til the sun went down. What a perfect way to spend a Wednesday! Thanks so much to everyone who attended, many familiar faces from past workshops and Dallas Arboretum visitors.

The Lacy Lady sunflower models take a bow!

Saturday, February 9, 2013

SOLD ~ Hearts Wing Blue Hydrangeas and New Dallas Arboretum Workshops by Texas Artist Nancy Medina

Hearts Wing Blue Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

SOLD

16X12

Oil on Archival Panel

Hearts Wing Blue Hydrangeas is the newest small work in the studio. The big ole blue hydrangea plant I carried out of the market a few days ago (whilst trumpets played) is still looking perky, and even put up with my mud lamp spotlight for a few hours this evening during the painting session.

Tomorrow morning the hubby wants to spend the day with me at the Dallas Arboretum. This will be a great excuse to stop in and say hi to Joy and Megan in the Education Department. These talented ladies are cooking up a few new spring workshops for me there very soon. Rumor has it there are already some early spring bloomers making an appearance in the gardens! Stay tuned to the bloggy, I promise to share photos with you, all my flower friends!

The Studio Models take a bow!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Star's Reach Sunflower by Texas Artist Nancy Medina

Star's Reach Sunflower

by Nancy Medina

8X10

Oil on Panel

Star's Reach Sunflower is the newest small painting in Flower Mound Studio, as I begin work on a new four foot container garden. These big ones usually take a few days, starting with the pots, moving next to the flowers, and finally finishing up the foreground or tabletop, and the background. I've also been working on my October newsletter, and will be including a video of Studio Director AnnieBee, so you definitely won't want to miss this one. Click here to sign up for my newsletter, it's always full of flowers, flowers, and a few pug pictures sprinkled into every issue!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Sold - Blue Bliss Larkspur and a Tour of Chihuly at the Dallas Arboretum by Texas Artist Nancy Medina

Blue Bliss Larkspur and Daisies

by Nancy Medina

SOLD

16X20

Oil on Linen Board

Sunflower Painting Video

The art stars were aligned this month for my Dallas Arboretum flower painting workshop on June 9 - while my students and I painted California purple asters and daisies inside, the Chihuly glass exhibit was right outside our classroom windows! We took an early break to stand near the work of the master. I was careful to situate at least two layers of students between myself and the glassworks at all times, since I break at least one vase or bowl a week at home.

Get your comfy shoes on, grab your favorite camera and take a stroll with me through the Chihuly glass exhibit on my art blog today. Be sure to bring soda money, it's a hot one here in Big D this week!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

A Day in Provence Sunflowers and a Dallas Arboretum Workshop by Texas Artist Nancy Medina

Demo painting for my Dallas Arboretum Class

A Day in Provence Sunflower Bouquet

24X24

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas