riverside

18.5 x 49”
acrylic on wood
2600.

This double painting, housing a clean color pattern of riverside pods captures living plant life along the banks of a waterway. The riverside is where peace abides and where one is baptized. In the song “Study War no More,”Pete Seeger agrees.

atonement

36 x 43”
acrylic on canvas with wooden inlays
Mary Vaughan & Rachel Dufour
2400.

This large owl head is ecologically disconcerting with a deliberate stare-down, if not showdown with Man. From the beautiful antique panel, reminiscent of a wing pattern, to a small veiled window acting like a confessional booth, the message here is one of atonement. Creatures like the Almighty are forgiving, but only if we change our actions toward the environment in an all-too serious moment in time.

still on the roses

25 x 42”
acrylic on wood and statuette of old Victorian lamp parts
Mary Vaughan & Rachel Dufour
3500.

This nostalgic painting of burgeoning garden by Vaughan and a timeless cherub crafted by Dufour is as wistful a vestige as they come. Here, the past is present, signaling a continuum of beauty within the song of the earth. The title comes from a line in the gospel hymn “In the Garden” written in 1912 by C. Austin Mills.

 

master gardener

12 x 44”
acrylic on wood with toy gardening tools
2200.

This abstract diptych (two paintings), captures deep root and abundance yielded by damp soil. Look closely to find six insects creating visual buzz. This playful piece is ode to all gardeners who understand the way gardens cultivate peaceful states of being. Jacques Cousteau once said the way to prevent all future war was to teach all ten year olds how to garden.

 

falling from grace

43 x 18"”
acrylic on wood with Victorian topper and handmade brambles
Mary Vaughan & Rachel Dufour
3000.

Nature is used as metaphor in this nostalgic piece. We are not perfect beings and sometimes find ourselves at a loss, yearning for love or contentment. This piece captures the languishing state of Man and the beauty of becoming vulnerable.

 
 

strays

21 x 31”
acrylic on wood with stainless rim
2200.

A blanket of brambles on a forest floor grow randomly like stray arteries in this abstraction. The intuitive feeling here is on-going life form and tenacity found in mud, seed and bloom. Plants are infinitely in continuum despite the human footprint.

photosynthesis | SOLD

33 x 19”
acrylic on wood with metal circle panel
1500.

Majestic redwoods tower us, if not humble us, when we are near them. They are the ultimate tree to respect like grand elders. In this scene of vertical timber, colored orbs horizontally float like molecules or scientific energy through the woodland.

 

madrona | SOLD

21 x 31”
acrylic on wood with metal rim
2200.

This painterly abstract captures the physicality or feeling of abundant woods. The deep red tones of the Madrone against spring light caused a rich palette to ponder and dream on.

hop sing

42 x 16”
acrylic on wood with vintage Chinese checkers
3000.

This vibrant painting of an oriole hopping from twig to stem was inspired by this nostalgic board game. This songbird’s morning song alongside Man’s recreation is perfect metaphor to life as the game, and in that act of living, playing it well.

 

moon walk

20 x 28”
acrylic on wood
2000.

A crane strolls alongside a lunar orb as we ponder the beauty of the world and our own short time here. These tall birds walk the remnant fields of harvest each spring. This painting captures one of them under a full moon. 

dewfall

33 x 48”
acrylic on wood
3300.

This abstract of wlld grasses captures the idea of all things new and is a metaphor to new beginnings. The title comes directly from the hymn, Morning has Broken which is the quintessential poem about the beauty of the earth. 

catalyst

16.5 x 32”
acrylic on wood with weathered inlays
1500.

The dragonfly is known to be a symbol of transition and change. This painting is a symbolic ode to the insect we are encouraged to make wishes on. They are believed to activate inspiration which can bring about positive shifts in our lives.

bluebird hill

22 x 19”
acrylic on wood with croquet peg
1500.

The hills are alive with the sound of music in this playful painting. The quirky croquet stick is not at all a plaything here, just a spectrum of old commercial color in contrast to the natural hills. A nostalgic feeling is caused by this encasement of stripes. The viewer is encouraged to contemplate the role of Man alongside Nature in this scene despite the jovial approach.

 

floret

16.5 x 10.5”
acrylic on wood with weathered panel
800.

A songbird pauses on some wooded tier amid flora and fauna. This small, winged creature looks directly at us, symbolizing a fleeting of passage through its own quick movement of grace and joy.

algorithm red

15 x 20”
acrylic on wood with computer emblem inlay
1500.

For those of us that watched Halt and Catch Fire, a series based on the history of the computer, we know these old emblems mark the start of advanced technology. When placed alongside organic growth, interesting dichotomy occurs. 

 

God’s courier

37 x 16”
acrylic on wood
3000.

This soft-toned painting is composed on the vertical for a reason. Cardinals are messengers from heaven, thus, a tall canvas is closer to the ethereal. This piece suggests life is full of miracle, just as the after-life is full of mystery.

 

bandwidth yellow

15 x 20”
acrylic on wood with computer emblem inlay
1500.

A 1970’s computer band is placed amid two ecological paintings. This piece reminds us to breathe in the outdoors and to pay attention to Mother Earth as much as our computer screen and keyboards.

 

night garlands | SOLD

32 x 21”
acrylic on wood within metal florals
2000.

An owl sits amid a myriad of florals, spying something moving below. The two-dimensional quality of painting is enhanced by three-dimensional abundance. This painting would make for a great porch or patio piece.  

 

bel canto

22.5 x 14.5”
acrylic on wood within rustic metal pattern
1500.

This old metal part wanted to pay homage to the flow and flight of birdlife. A yellow finch pauses amid the brambles, making us feel a sensation of fresh air and clean color components. Bel canto means “ beautiful song.”

wilting | SOLD

21.5 x 11.5”
acrylic on wood within hexagon
700.

A raven perches on a stump, making eye contact and observing our every move.These birds are smart and sometimes gravitate to shiny things or remnant man-made objects to pick up and investigate. In this way, their wit and a sense of play enlightens our world.

 

tanglewood

37 x 25.5”
acrylic on wood with thin inlay
3500.

This image of interweaving rose vines within gnarled woodland, gives the viewer a sense of abundance amid the abstraction. A fat kinglet quietly perches in watchfulness as a secondary, but cohesive compliment to the scene. A vertical inlay acts as metaphor to the continuum of life and the precious details around us at all times.  

coming up roses

32 x 16”
acrylic on wood
3000.

This abstract of roses gone to seed, beginning to emerge from a patch of fertile green, leaves the viewer with a sense of life force. Everything about this image suggests abundance and the beauty of burgeoning earth. It was painted after a visit to Monet’s home and the lush gardens of Giverny.

 

turning point

30 x 16”
acrylic on wood built as hexagon with formica inlays
2000.

This ode to the chickadee in soft neutrals invites the viewer to think about Man alongside Nature. Formica inlays are the color of earthtones as a hexagon hints at the mathematical forms of the universe. All things are interwoven and part of the whole. The number six symbolizes Creation and the idea of divine power.

 

velvet tide

20 x 24”
acrylic on wood 
NFS (Commission piece)

This abstract painting was created for Anon Wines of Napa, California for a fifth label within a series of Vaughan’s work for Nicole and Ryan Knoth –Localismwines.com. It depicts the lulling motion of moving sea through ebb and flow. Colors are enhanced to capture a rich energy of reds against its complimentary of blue green or teal. The goal was to allow the viewer to feel calm, yet to also think of all things that change and shift, like we do, and to recognize the beauty of that process.

 

soft noise | SOLD

22 x 33”
acrylic on wood within stainless steel rim
2200.

This tender abstract suggests a softness to early garden hours, when tranquil sound introduces the day. Through palette and tone, this painting encourages a slowing down of pace to honor the morning.

blue pastoral | SOLD                            

43 x 43”
acrylic on wood with old box side panels
4000.

This painting captures deep blue wildflowers against an even brighter azure sky. It is said blue stabilizes confidence and brings a secure feeling to a chaotic world. The wonder of blue skies, blue oceans, and blue horizons hint at a Creator who is an excellent color theorist of masterful intelligence.

underwood

40.5 x 70”
acrylic on wood with ash wood underlay by Jack Sandeen
for the offices of Ann Heckman – Central Dental Group
Hastings, Nebraska
NFS

The tones and abstractions of root, soil, wood and earth in this painting are inspired by the Platte River. The intuitive intention here is fertile ground, where new life comes from the breakdown of the old. Unexpected crevices, flaws and random brambles are suggestive in this overall organic painting made more meaningful by the beauty of Sandeen’s worn, polished wood piece attached at the base.

dream weaver | SOLD

15 x 35”
acrylic on wood within an old loom panel
2000.

Finding this unusual loom part with delicate wire work, inspired a delicacy of feeling through roots and soft brambles of earth, painted with ease. After the house sparrow was added to this piece, to my amazement, I discovered they are called “weaverbirds” and symbolize Creation.