Unique Inspirational Plaques & Charms

Bloom Where You Are Planted

DragonFly

One of a kind miniature shadow boxes now $49

Texas Bluebonnet Kyle Wood Paints at the DAG Dec. 12, 11-3 pm

Kyle Wood was born in Dallas, Texas, on February 19, 1972, to parents Kenneth H & Patricia L Wood. At the age of ten, Kyle became interested in art. Initially, he doodled with paint-by-number series, but his Great Aunt, Mildred Stapleton, saw that he had great potential and encouraged him to take art instruction from a professional artist. Between 1984 and 1997, Kyle took oil painting classes from Calonnie Gragg, who taught at Nichol’s Art & Frame in Mesquite, Texas, and later at Barton on Boystun Gallery in Rockwall, Texas. Under her guidance, he quickly learned the basics of color mixing, value, hue, scale, and composition. In addition, he has taken several art & architectural classes at Eastfield College and The University of Texas at Arlington, where he holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art (December 1999). In 2003, Kyle had the privilege to study with June Lee, learning a romantic style and palette knife technique of oil painting similar to Dalhart Windberg.

As an artist, Kyle’s passion is painting landscapes and historical buildings. He credits much of his painting ability to his keen observation of perspective. Taking photographs while on vacation and at other leisure moments is the primary resource for his oil paintings. Some inspiration has also come from going to local art galleries to view the works of well known Texas Artists, such as Larry Dyke, W.A. Slaughter, Dalhart Windberg, and many others. Currently, Kyle is a member of Northeast Texas Fine Art Alliance, which meets monthly to promote art in the Northeast Texas Area. Kyle is also represented by The Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas, Texas. His work is finding its way into corporate & private collections throughout America. Kyle and his wife, Lori, currently reside in Terrell, Texas.

Niki Gulley Paints at The Dutch Art Gallery - Dec. 10, 6-8 pm

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. Seeing a spark of enthusiasm, her parents signed her up for private art lessons and she has been hooked ever since. Following her childhood in Glenview, Illinois, Niki relocated to Dallas to pursue an art major at Southern Methodist University. Since she disliked the long, chilly Chicago winters, Dallas seemed like the place to stay after completing her degree.
Upon graduating Gulley entered the world of advertising, working as art director for a Dallas magazine. After a few years passed by, Niki felt like something was missing. So she started painting again during nights, weekends and any time she could find a free moment. This is what she had been missing; this satisfied the void and she began to feel fulfilled again. Ten years later she segued from advertising to live her life’s dream of being a full-time artist.
It only makes sense that someone as passionate about her work would find a kindred artistic spirit to share her life with as they explore the world. Niki met her future husband, Scott Williams, when he started working as a photographer with her at the magazine where she was art director. Their friendship blossomed into a romance that eventually became a husband and wife painting/photography team that travels the globe in search of beauty and inspiration. Their mutual experience as teachers, coupled with their traveling adventures has also spawned a unique enterprise where they will start conducting painting/photography workshops in Europe in the near future.
It’s from this search for inspiration that Niki translates onto canvas her emotion for the viewer to share. She seeks to capture the beauty and mysteries of our landscape, utilizing vivid color palettes to convey a particular mood. While working in pastels appeals to the childlike part of her that wants to be messy, painting in oils allows her to have fun smearing around paint and playing with textures. Gulley invites you to reconnect with nature and escape the day-to-day responsibilities along with her in these creations.
Niki Gulley’s artwork not only has a loyal local following, but is also recognized throughout the country. She has participated in juried exhibitions at the Dallas Museum of Art and various museums around Texas, in addition to being represented by galleries from coast to coast, including New York City, Palm Beach, Vail and San Diego. Besides exhibiting in competitive international shows, her award-winning paintings have also been collected by several corporations including Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, Baylor Medical Center in Dallas and Northstar Bank of Texas. Additionally, Gulley is a member of the prestigious Pastel Society of America and Oil Painters of America Society.

Holidays at The Dutch Art Gallery