"Silent Night" watercolor by Texas artist Linda Bein

"Silent Night"

transparent watercolor

22"x15"

$215

There is something peaceful and restful in the new fallen snow.  It is so quiet, a good time to reflect on all those blessings that you are thankful for. It seemed an appropriate time of the year for  "Silent Night"; it was done as a monochromatic demo.  Next time I may put in an evergreen tree (of course it will be blue) and one big bright star in the sky.  I have also thought of  putting footprints in the foreground, disappearing as they go off into the night.  It is a good lesson in glazing layer upon layer of color.

Winter's Passage oil painting by Niki Gulley

"Winter's Passage" ©2011 Niki Gulley

oil on canvas • 20" x 16"

"Winter's Passage" is from one of our rare days in Dallas where everything was covered in ice and even though it was the middle of winter, there was still a warmth to the landscape. So I chose a bold yellow/orange to tone the canvas and to add a glow to the final piece. While painting this White Rock scene, I really liked the contrast between the golden underpainting and the deep indigo blues in the shadows and branches, so I decided to leave the underpainting showing through. The finished painting has such an unusual light and I really love the dramatic mood that resulted.

For more information on this painting, e-mail Niki Gulley

or to see more of my artwork, visit NikiGulley.com.

Snowfall Comes Early oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Snowfall Comes Early” ©2011 Niki Gulley

Oil painting • 24” x 12”

On our drive from Durango to Aspen, Colorado, as we rounded the last switchback near the summit north of Durango, we were greeted by these brilliant orange aspen trees and awestruck by their rare, unusual coloring. With the sun shining intensely, the contrast between the vibrant tangerine foliage, the cobalt blue sky, and the pristine white snow was absolutely breathtaking.

For more information on this painting, e-mail Niki Gulley or to see more of my artwork, visit NikiGulley.com.

Crystal Mill, Colorado oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Crystal Mill,” Crystal, Colorado ©2011 Niki Gulley

Oil painting • 14” x 11”

My husband and I absolutely love the scenery in Colorado, so we planned our trip to see the aspens turning color in September, and that just happened to coincide with their earliest snowfall on record! In order to capture both the beautiful foliage and the snow before it melted we hiked as quickly as we could up the mountain, and were rewarded with a gorgeous view. I chose this vantage because I liked how the aspen trees perfectly framed the mill and stream in the distance. Then, the sun emerged and made everything sparkle. The colors came alive and dramatic cool shadows were cast in the snow, and I just had to create the scene in paint.

For more information on this painting, e-mail Niki Gulley or to see more of my artwork, visit NikiGulley.com.

Winter Birch trees oil painting by Niki Gulley

“Climbing Trees IV” ©2011 Niki Gulley

40” x 30” oil on canvas

Growing up in the midwest, I loved the first snowfall of the year when everything would get a beautiful dusting of pristine white powder, including even the tiniest of branches in the treetops above. If you caught that moment early enough in the morning before anything had disturbed the intricate frosted web, it was just magical. I wanted to capture that brief beautiful moment in "Climbing Trees" when the sunlight dances through the icing on the treetops and you can feel yourself looking up in wonderment just like you did when you were a kid. Using extremely thick oil paint and palette knives allowed me to recreate the various textures of the birches and ice-encrusted branches.

For information on this birch tree painting,

e-mail Niki Gulley or to see more of my three-dimensional oil paintings,

go to NikiGulley.com.

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Winter's Calm pastel by Niki Gulley

"Winter's Calm" ©2010 Niki Gulley

pastel • 16" x 20"

This pastel is inspired by one of our rare snowfalls in Dallas. Growing up in Chicago I always loved how pretty and magical the snow was after it first fell, but I really don't miss shoveling since moving to Texas! So in "Winter's Calm," I combined the best of both worlds, capturing the beautiful white powder dusting across the ground and along the lacy intertwining branches above while knowing that the next day it would all be gone, making the moment even more fleeting and special.

If you'd like more information on Winter's Calm, e-mail Niki Gulley.

Or to see more of my pastels and oil paintings, visit my website at NikiGulley.com.