Textured Hill Country Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

Willow City Loop ©2020 Niki Gulley

9" x 12" textured oil painting

I love bluebonnets but there were only two or three tiny ones at my feet, so I decided to use them as a guide and multiply them. That way I could paint the scene the way it would look in another two weeks. I started this piece on location along the Willow City Loop in Fredericksburg, TX and these interesting red rocks were calling my name! Combine their beautiful hues and shapes along with the dreamy morning light, and I thought this composition would make a perfect painting. Lastly, including the road on the left reminds you to slow down and enjoy the journey.

To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my bluebonnet and Texas inspired textured paintings.

"Purple Shadows" by Palette Knife Artist Niki Gulley

"Purple Shadows" ©2020 Niki Gulley

Willow City Loop - 9" x 12" textured oil painting

I decided I wanted to paint the tranquil river again, so I returned to the Willow City Loop in Fredericksburg, TX one last day, . This time, I arrived earlier so I could capture the light before the shadows took over the scene and I wanted to have more fun with the texture. Working thick with palette knife and thick paint, I changed the composition and pulled the river over to the left side of the canvas creating more of a contemporary feel. Keeping my strokes loose, also add to the energy and abstraction of the scene. Full of joy, serenity and color,I hope you enjoy this cool peaceful place as much as I did.

To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my Texas inspired textured paintings.

"Purple Shadows" by Palette Knife Artist Niki Gulley

"Purple Shadows" ©2020 Niki Gulley

Willow City Loop - 9" x 12" textured oil painting

When I started the scene, there were just a few shadows being cast from the trees on the right but they kept growing as I was painting! I liked the rhythm they were creating so I decided to include their patterns and go ahead and chase the light (which is a no no for plein air painters). But there's always exceptions to the rules, right? I was drawn to this tranquil spot, especially as the day was getting hotter, painted on location along the Willow City Loop in Fredericksburg, TX. I hope you enjoy this cool peaceful place as much as I did.

To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my Texas inspired textured paintings.

Textured Hill Country Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

©2020 Niki Gulley

Willow City Loop - 16" x 12" textured oil painting

The wild oak tree perched on top and the Prickly Pear cactus below it just said Texas to me and I had to paint the scene. This was on location along the Willow City Loop in Fredericksburg, TX.
I was drawn to the interesting rock formations and the tangle of foliage that was growing above it.  Working with palette knife to capture all of the texture in the rocks, I used a softer approach with the greenery to show the contrast between the elements. Finally the morning light cast a magical light on the scene that I wanted to capture before it was too late.

To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my Texas inspired textured paintings.

Willow City Loop Painting by Contemporary Impressionist Niki Gulley

Willow City Loop ©2020 Niki Gulley

9" x 12" textured oil painting

This was a scene from along the Willow City Loop in Fredericksburg, TX. These interesting red rocks were calling my name! Combine their interesting hues and shapes along with the dreamy morning light, and I thought this composition would make a perfect painting. A sliver of the road on the left reminds you to slow down and enjoy the journey, too. It was too early for bluebonnets, so I was searching for a beautiful scene that included some bright colors to break up all of the green in the landscape.

To see more of my palette knife contemporary landscape paintings, visit nikigulley.com.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on my Texas inspired textured paintings.

Live Oak in Spring by Kristine Kainer

NFS

Spring in the Hill Country of Texas is glorious.  Wildflowers such as bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, and evening primroses blanket the landscape in a kaleidoscope of colors.  This painting attempts to capture the remarkable beauty of the landscape at this time of year after the dreary doldrums of winter.

Commissions welcome.

www.kristinekainer.com

www.kristinekainer.blogspot.com

Jimmy Longacre_subjective realist landscape paintings_ROSEBUD COVE

If painting were easy, everyone would paint well.  But painting frequently leads to a crisis of despair.  How we get past those crises, determines our growth.  A painter's job involves distilling an essence of the subject as we hope to portray it.  It requires a conscious editing, and arrangement of all that is before us. One thing must dominate, while everything else must play a supporting roll.  You can't do everything that appears beautiful, …the roots, the rocks, the reflections, the foliage, etc.  Having identified the one thing, we're then in a position to design a painting according to purpose, and this is totally different than the laborious effort to transcribe what you see.  The fun comes from your own invention as you respond to how you can radically simplify everything in order to bring harmony to emphasizing the one thing that has moved you to paint.      

ROSEBUD COVE

©Jimmy Longacre 2014

11x14 oil on canvas panel

Jimmy Longacre

subjective impressionist landscape paintings

MY WEBSITE

MY BLOG: Paintbox & Easel

GALLERY LINKS

River's Edge Gallery Kerrville TX

Austin Street Gallery Rockport TX

Capital Fine Art Gallery Austin TX

Jimmy Longacre_subjective impressionist landscape paintings_ZION CREEK BEND

The road that runs through Zion Natl. Park presents an almost endless array of beautiful scenes to improvise into paintings.  I was, at first, captured by the panoramic views of mountains and towering cliffs.  After the first few days, I began to notice more intimate views surrounding me.  This one was the first such scene I tried that had no massive mountains with sky.  I was starting to feel at home in the canyon, so I settled down to pay closer attention to the variety of stunning scenery.

ZION CREEK BEND

©Jimmy Longacre 2014

11x14 oil on canvas panel

Jimmy Longacre

subjective impressionist landscape paintings

MY WEBSITE

MY BLOG: Paintbox & Easel

GALLERY LINKS

River's Edge Gallery Kerrville TX

Austin Street Gallery Rockport TX

Capital Fine Art Gallery Austin TX

Jimmy Longacre_subjective impressionist landscape paintings_MORNING JOG

THIS ONE IS FROM THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL THAT RUNS THROUGH PEASE PARK IN AUSTIN. I'm going through recent paintings for entering a number of competitions that are coming up.  This was done last October.

MORNING JOG

©Jimmy Longacre 2014

9x12 oil on canvas panel

Jimmy Longacre

subjective impressionist landscape paintings

MY WEBSITE

MY BLOG: Paintbox & Easel

GALLERY LINKS

River's Edge Gallery Kerrville TX

Austin Street Gallery Rockport TX

Capital Fine Art Gallery Austin TX

Jimmy Longacre_subjective impressionist landscape paintings_TEMPLES AND THRONES

This view in Zion Natl. Park can be seen from the spacious, covered porch of the Historical Center.  It's part of a sweeping amphitheater, with a vast wealth of painting subjects, any time of day.  The Shadow patterns slowly shift and transform the view as the sun moves across the sky.  There's way more information than you can possibly handle, so it's a great exercise in selection, editing and arrangement.

TEMPLES AND THRONES

©Jimmy Longacre 2013

12x16 oil on canvas panel

Jimmy Longacre

subjective impressionist landscape paintings

MY WEBSITE

MY BLOG: Paintbox & Easel

GALLERY LINKS

River's Edge Gallery Kerrville TX

Austin Street Gallery Rockport TX

Capital Fine Art Gallery Austin TX

Jimmy Longacre_subjective impressionist landscape paintings_NOONDAY SHADOWS

Because of the steep canyon walls there are interesting shadow/light patterns all day long.  Sorry, to be so brief with my posts.  I've been spending lots of time with my family over the holidays, and trying to put up some of the work I did while in Zion Natl. Park in November and early December.  I'll get back to being a bit more thorough after the new year.

NOONDAY SHADOWS

©Jimmy Longacre 2013

14X11 oil on canvas panel

Jimmy Longacre

subjective impressionist landscape paintings

MY WEBSITE

MY BLOG: Paintbox & Easel

GALLERY LINKS

River's Edge Gallery Kerrville TX

Austin Street Gallery Rockport TX

Capital Fine Art Gallery Austin TX

Jimmy Longacre_subjective impressionist landscape paintings_FRESH EYES

Going back through the studies I painted at Zion National Park reminds me how much fun I was having there.  Putting myself in a new environment is a sure way to awaken the senses and inspire me to paint.  Everything looks new and fresh.  Motives to paint seem to be everywhere I look.  It also gives me fresh eyes for my home landscapes.  More travel planned for this year!

CANYON WALL

©Jimmy Longacre 2013

14x11 oil on canvas panel

Jimmy Longacre

subjective impressionist landscape paintings

MY WEBSITE

MY BLOG: Paintbox & Easel

GALLERY LINKS

River's Edge Gallery Kerrville TX

Austin Street Gallery Rockport TX

Capital Fine Art Gallery Austin TX

Jimmy Longacre_subjective impressionist landscape paintings_ZION CLIFFS

I've been traveling to paint during October and November.  It was a wonderful experience to get out into new landscapes.  Now, I'm playing catch-up back in the studio.  It's great to be home again, but I need to improve my juggling act this year.  I have a new iPad, so I can start posting while traveling.

Here's a plein air study done in magnificent Zion National Park.  I'll try to show you more of what I've been doing.  I feel things changing, getting more direct in my paint handling.  I think that's coming from paying closer attention to starting with a good notan pattern. Careful planning is the greatest enhancement to spontaneity!  

ZION CLIFFS

©Jimmy Longacre 2013

9X12 oil on canvas panel

Jimmy Longacre

subjective impressionist landscape paintings

MY WEBSITE

MY BLOG: Paintbox & Easel

GALLERY LINKS

River's Edge Gallery Kerrville TX

Austin Street Gallery Rockport TX

Capital Fine Art Gallery Austin TX

Jimmy Longacre_Texas impressionist landscape paintings_RAINY DAY COLOR

Painted during a steady light drizzle, in the Port Aransas Plein Air competition.  I't's interesting how the light coming through an overcast reverses the usual order of things from warm influence in the light with cool shadows, to warm shadows and cool influence in the light.  I've noticed that if I pay attention to this phenomenon, it will sometimes produce rather beautiful color relationships. When I don't the result often has an inert, depressing feeling.  If I can choose, I prefer the sunshine, but I enjoy the surprises that can come from observing the light on a cloudy day. 

RAINY DAY SUNFLOWERS

©Jimmy Longacre 2013

12x16 oil on canvas panel

Jimmy Longacre

Texas impressionist landscape paintings

MY WEBSITE

MY BLOG: Paintbox & Easel

GALLERY LINKS

River's Edge Gallery Kerrville TX

Austin Street Gallery Rockport TX

Capital Fine Art Gallery Austin TX

Jimmy Longacre_Texas impressionist landscape paintings_HAZY DAYS

Another one of my plein air paintings from last week's Coastal Paintout in Port Aransas. This was a hazy day, and I was interested in the effect of the backlit scene. Because the sun was behind the house it created a very nice foil for hi-lighting the profusion of sunflowers at the fenceline. The flowing curve of the mowed lawn also presented a useful shape emphasizing the focal area. 

HAZY DAY

©Jimmy Longacre 2013

12x16 oil on canvas panel

Jimmy Longacre

Texas impressionist landscape paintings

MY WEBSITE

MY BLOG: Paintbox & Easel

GALLERY LINKS

River's Edge Gallery Kerrville TX

Austin Street Gallery Rockport TX

Capital Fine Art Gallery Austin TX

Jimmy Longacre_Texas impressionist landscape paintings_"PEOPLES' CHOICE AWARD"_Port Aransas Invitational Coastal Paintout

I just returned from the annual "Port Aransas Coastal Paintout". I'm happy to say that my painting "FAREWELL TO GIBBS" won the "Peoples' Choice Award". Kind of an emotional piece for me, as 'Gibbs Cottages' is one of the last remaining relics of the old Port Aransas I knew growing up. It's destined to be razed to make room for the new. Can't look at them without remembering all the fun and crazy summers I had there in Port A, with my friends.

FAREWELL TO GIBBS

©Jimmy Longacre 2013

11x14 oil on canvas panel

Jimmy Longacre

Texas impressionist landscape paintings

MY WEBSITE

MY BLOG: Paintbox & Easel

GALLERY LINKS

River's Edge Gallery Kerrville TX

Austin Street Gallery Rockport TX

Capital Fine Art Gallery Austin TX

Jimmy Longacre_Texas impressionist landscape paintings_HILL COUNTRY MAGIC

Painted at the Kerrville Outdoor Painters Event, October 2013.  This property was loaded with wonderful old classic barns, sheds and cabins from the past.  The light falling on this grouping was irresistible.

HILL COUNTRY MAGIC

©Jimmy Longacre 2013

11x14 oil on canvas panel

Jimmy Longacre

Texas impressionist landscape paintings

MY WEBSITE

MY BLOG: Paintbox & Easel

GALLERY LINKS

River's Edge Gallery Kerrville TX

Austin Street Gallery Rockport TX

Capital Fine Art Gallery Austin TX

Jimmy Longacre_Texas impressionist landscape paintings_WHEN THE SUN DOESN'T SHINE

Outdoor painters love a sunny day displaying interesting shadow patterns that contain rich, subtle colors contrasted with the bright sunlit spectrum. But, alas, you can't always have it that way. Gray day paintings present a unique challenge, because they lack the availability of shadow shapes that are so nice to use in organizing eye-catching compositions. Because of the close values and and color relationships, gray day paintings present a unique challenge.  Even though they can be more difficult to paint, they can yield some beautiful effects.  This painting was done last Saturday at the Kerrville Outdoor Painters Event, on a still, thinly overcast morning that gave the landscape a kind of beautiful glow. 

MORNING OVERCAST

©Jimmy Longacre 2013

11x14 oil on canvas panel

Jimmy Longacre

Texas impressionist landscape paintings

MY WEBSITE

MY BLOG: Paintbox & Easel

GALLERY LINKS

River's Edge Gallery Kerrville TX

Austin Street Gallery Rockport TX

Capital Fine Art Gallery Austin TX

- See more at: http://artistsoftexas.blogspot.com/#sthash.ZUdZyQEF.dpuf

Spring Formal Pink and Red Poppy Field by Texas Artist Nancy Medina

Spring Formal Pink and Red Poppy Field

by Nancy Medina

16X20

Oil on Archival Panel

Purchase Information

Flower Painting Workshops

Nancy Medina Web Site

Follow Me on Facebook

I felt the need to step out of the studio and into the fields today, and painted Spring Formal Pink and Red Poppies based on the bobbing and dipping fields of flowers in Fredericksburg, Texas. The weather was clear, cool and absolutely gorgeous in Flower Mound, Texas. Studio Director AnnieBee bossed me away from the easel on at least four occasions to throw her toy du jour. After a busy morning of packing and shipping paintings, it was nice to have a few moments in the garden to sit, breathe, relax, and share quiet time with my pugs. I wanted to share that time with you, too, with a photo of a surprise from my garden this morning. The rest of its brethren seem spent for the season, but this morning the one, glorious white lady stood tall among the red roses.

Summer Season Sunflowers and a Hill Country Workshop by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Summer Season Sunflowers

by Nancy Medina

Class Demonstration

16X20

Oil on Archival Panel

Purchase Information

Flower Painting Workshops

Nancy Medina Web Site

Follow Me on Facebook

Summer Season Sunflowers and Day Lilies was the morning class demo today for my workshop in Fredericksburg, Texas, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. We woke up this morning to sunshine and country breezes, a perfect day to spend with friends painting, a perfect day to enjoy fresh German pastries, and a fabulous day to go out for dinner after class for excellent and seafood and chocolate torte desserts all around (yes, I noticed there were two references to desserts, and one reference to painting....) ! I get such joy from seeing my students excited about their paintings. These ladies converged from all over the country to gather for some loose, bright application of color emphasizing an energetic, free approach to making brilliant flowers bloom in oils. What an amazing life it is, to wake up each morning now knowing I am now officially doing the thing I love most of all  - teaching art. I sincerely hope each of you has found a way to follow your bliss. I'm so glad you are here with me, on this journey. Have another cheese kolache and let's get to painting!

Linda, Nancy, Linda, Linda, Annie, Linda, Carolyn, Cathy and Cheri show their
beautiful hydrangea paintings!