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Bill Vaughan is a self-taught artist, who works almost exclusively in Pencil.

 

“Above all else, I am a Realist, in my work and in my life. Every artist views the world from their perspective and the expressions of that view come through in their art. I see details; shades, textures, hues, the way light plays across different surfaces, the way a person stands. I try to put what I see into my work and to share that view with others. I prefer the black and white of pencil, because it lets the viewer‘s imagination play with the scene, not me telling them what to see. It‘s not that I am against color; I even try to suggest color by the different shades and hues. I just prefer the contrast and I think a lot of others enjoy it, too”

 

Bill was born in Durango, Colorado and has a family background in farming and ranching. He grew up around the Four Corners Area of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. He started drawing at an early age, but also at an early age it was discovered that he had an allergy to horses.

 

 “Coming from a background of ranching and other activities involving horses, my parents had to choose a life different from the one they knew. I wish I hadn’t been the reason for that change, but in a lot of ways, it’s been beneficial. We probably enjoyed a more profitable lifestyle and in my case, I developed a passion for horses, where without my allergies, I might have found them part of the norm.”

 

Bill depicts contemporary Cowboy Life in the majority of his works, but has also done many different projects, including commissioned pieces for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Many of his depictions are, as he calls them, “focused”, concentrating on an area or subject to capture the importance of the details, while remaining balanced and pleasing to the eye.

 

Bill’s works have been shown in numerous galleries in New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado.

 

Bill and his wife, Martha, currently reside in Peralta, New Mexico.