Dan Vaughan

Dan's medium of choice is soft Pastels. He enjoys painting landscapes that incorporate wildlife in there native habitat.

Jasper National Park Elk - 24 x 30 - Pastel

Willet at Sunrise at Avon NC - 24 x 30 -  Pastel

Education and Background:  I was born and raised in Michigan receiving degrees in biology and medicine from Michigan State University and Wayne State University, respectively.  While my science studies left little time for training in art, I have always been a serious photographer.  My retirement in 2003 from the University of North Carolina, has allowed the opportunity to devote more time to painting.   Being a biologist by training, I like to incorporate wildlife in their natural habitats. Having a great appreciation of the out-of-doors, I enjoy painting a wide variety of the beautiful vistas in North America.  The Big Sur, the North Carolina Coast, the mountainous terrains of Utah, Colorado, Alberta, British Columbia and Newfoundland have all provided inspiration.  Through plein air I have enjoyed painting local scenes in Orange, Chatham, Durham, and Alamance counties. 

In the fall of 2006, I had the distinct honor of serving as the artist-in-residence for 11 weeks in the Badland's National Park in South Dakota.  To spend time in a national park is special; to live in one is so much more.  What a treat it is to see antelope, bison, bighorn sheep, and coyotes while hiking on and off the trails in the park, as well as mule deer in the front yard each morning.  So different from where I grew up or now live, green color is a rarity.  Instead, sun-baked earth and cliffs and mesas of sedimentary rock in hues of tans, pinks, and ochres abound. Hidden within those multicolored layers are the deposits of ancient rivers, lakes, and oceans, and the 30-70 million year-old fossilized ancestors of the present day animals that roam in this special place.   There is general agreement that the Badlands have one of the greatest deposits of mammalian fossils anywhere in the world. Those three months also allowed me to witness the transition from summer to winter.  During this time I tried to capture on canvas and paper the changing of the seasons in this unique landscape that is vast and beautiful.  Removed from my usual routine, I had time to get totally immersed in my new found passion.  Painting daily, I completed 20 large works in pastels.  Before leaving the park, I had a show in which the rangers and park staff chose the painting they liked best; this donated painting now hangs in the visitors' center at the park.   My stay was truly a memorable one and I believe the paintings capture that experience.

Though my pursuit of art came in later years, it has been aided by my serious photography hobby of over 45 years.  Many of the elements of a good painting are reflected in a good photograph including composition, lighting, value, and color. 

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