Abandoned Works

Inspired by the work of twentieth-century Atlantic Canadian and Maine artists and guided by five thematic touchstones—Stillness, Solitude, Realism, Mortality, and Minimalism—Vickerson invites viewers into a world where every detail hums with meaning.

His chosen subjects anchor the work—the immovable, soundless scenes where even the imagined flight of a distant crow only intensifies the quiet. Each piece freezes a world at rest, holding its breath. 

Vickerson creates emotional landscapes where the viewer stands alone, sensing only traces of past human presence. The effect—which is both a haunting invitation to step into one’s own still-life memory and to search for the smallest signs of light—engages every viewer fully in the moment. 

Vickerson’s devotion to realism infuses his scenes with precision and intention, defying the ephemeral nature of the present. As Vickerson reflects, “realism is a way of preserving a moment that would otherwise slip instantly into the past.”

With an undercurrent of mortality running through the collection, many of the objects and buildings he paints have outlasted generations, offering silent testimony to lives once lived. Crows—long associated with death and transition—recur throughout the work, receiving their own dedicated chapter.

Finally, minimalism shapes the artist’s distinctive visual vocabulary: Each painting reveals only what is necessary to locate the subject in time and place. Nothing extraneous. Nothing embellished. Just the essence.

Abandoned Works

ISBN: 9781998129775

$125 CAD | Hardback

Height: 9"

Width: 12"

Pages: 240

Publication Date: May 5, 2026

Introduced to art through Andrew Wyeth’s Christina’s World and early watercolour lessons at Holland College, artist Richard Vickerson has spent four decades exploring the medium. Represented for most of his career by Arlene Rice of Details Fine Art, his work reflects a deep connection to place and memory. Today, he continues to paint in watercolour and acrylic, honouring the legacy of those who shaped his artistic journey.

Find Richard’s work here