Mansion Back Door

Front Porch #2

Camilia

Rolling Toomers

Late For the Game

Toomers Corner Overcast

Toomers Corner Overcast

Canvas on panel

8 x 10 inches

October 7, 2009

Auburn, Alabama

Toomers corners is the most iconic place in Auburn next to Samford Hall. I have always wanted to paint it but like so many other things that are right next door I have passed it up. The corner and its old live oak tree are most associated with the ritual of toilet papering the tree after winning football games. It is a magnificent sight when the tree is draped in all that white. The only people in town who don’t like it are the folks who have to clean up the mess.

For the rest of the time Toomers corners is a well travelled cross roads in town. I set up under the awning of Toomers drugstore. It was raining like crazy and the shelter worked well. Halfway through the sun came out and it was hot humid and miserable, then came the bugs. Such is outdoor painting I picked up the pace and by the time I finished my “overcast” painting it was blazing sun.

If you would like to buy "Toomers Corner Overcast" Please Contact Ronald Bayens

bayens@bellsouth.net

334-740-1750

Oncoming Train

Oncoming Train

Canvas on panel

8 x 10 inches

October 1, 2009

Auburn, Alabama

I am fixing up an old Camry wagon for my son Christian. It is a great car but its front bumper was quite bent giving the car a very sad expression. I brought it to an auto baby shop on Opelika road to have it straightened. They said it wouldn’t take too long so I brought my paints.

I put on my painting backpack kit and started to hike looking for something to paint. I cut across the road and thought I would walk the railroad tracks. I found my subject quickly.

I have affection for trains; I can’t seem to get enough of them. My last studio in Opelika was right on the tracks and the train coming never failed to get me to stand at the window and watch.

I was near the end of this painting when I heard the tracks click. The tracks always click when the train is within a couple of miles. I put some coins on the track to squish, couldn’t resist and readied my paint brush. I wanted a train in the picture. As it appeared I tried to hold the image in my head as it rumbled past. Then I popped it in.

I see more train paintings in my future.

If you would like to buy "Oncoming Train" please contact Ronald Bayens

bayens@bellsouth.net

334-7

Last One Up

Last One Up

Canvas on panel

8 x 10 inches

October 3, 2009

Auburn, Alabama

I always take the opportunity when my daughter Savannah rides to paint around the farm. This day we didn’t get out until late in the day. After I had set up I noticed that I had forgotten my yellow all I had was a tiny spot left over from the day before.

So I mixed up some nice blue grays and decided to paint a monochrome. As it progressed I saw how it made a night scene. Toward the end of the painting a light came on in the cabin, just enough for my tiny spot of yellow!

If you would like to buy "Last One Up" please contact Ronald Bayens

bayens@bellsouth.net

334-7

Fish Ponds

Fish Ponds

Canvas on panel

8 x 10 inches

October 7, 2009

Auburn, Alabama

The first sign of Auburn University to be seen when driving in from Highway 280 are the fish ponds. They have always intrigued me but I never really stopped to look.

If you really want to know about something set up an easel on the opposite side of a no trespassing sign. I was soon visited by the director of fisheries who very politely asked me to ask them first before setting up. He then told me of the facility and I was surprised to hear that it covers 1800 acres! He assured me that there are many more views to paint on the property.

As long as I call first I am welcome to see them. You can be sure that I will be back soon.

If you would like to buy "Fish Ponds" please contact Ronald Bayens

bayens@bellsouth.net

334-7

Auburn Skies #1

Auburn Skies #1

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

I spend part of everyday looking at the sky. It is the greatest free show on earth. Everyday it has beauty, drama, intensity, subtlety, and so much more. The friendliest part of the sky is the so called “fair weather cloud”. It just drifts by causing nobody any trouble.

I will keep looking up and try to get some of the other moods of Auburn skies

If you would like to buy "Auburn Skies #1" please contact Ronald Bayens

bayens@bellsouth.net

334-740-1750

Tranquil Pond

Tranquil Pond

Oil on Panel

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

October1, 2009

There is a wonderful forest on the campus of Auburn University that has a little bit of everything to offer. It has tails through the woods, peaceful winding country roads and a small pond.

The pond at one end has been flooded by beavers and has the look of so many places I would frequent on canoe trips in Canada. When I go there it is a little bit like visiting home.

If you would like to buy "Tranquil Pond" please contact Ronald Bayens at

bayens@bellsouth.net

334-740-1750

Town Creek Park

Town Creek Park

Oil on Canvas

8 x 16 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

I had painted earlier in the day where I concentrated on using very thick paint. This painting was done to use a technique of thick and thin. It is always good to have ability in a number of different techniques as each subject demands a different approach.

I have known this park from when it was just a kudzu field. The silo is from the original farm. The other building is a restroom. That is very convenient to have when painting outdoors in a public place!

If you would like to buy "Town Creek Park" please contact Ronald Bayens

bayens@bellsouth.net

334-740-1750

Bridge Reflections

Bridge Reflections

Oil on Canvas

8 x10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

September 24, 2009

Off of Bent Creek road in Auburn there is a beautiful new neighborhood. All the large trees were kept during construction and all the homes are architectural gems, very old world. Perhaps the nicest part is the bridge at the entrance. It is an old style stone bridge with three arches.

I decided to load this painting with paint and try a new impasto gel. It was fun and is something I may do more often.

If you would like to buy "Bridge Reflections" please contact Ronald Bayens

bayens@bellsouth.net

334-740-1750

Little Bit of Cotton

Little Bit of Cotton

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

September 21, 2009

This is the field behind the Jule Collins Smith museum. They have a crop rotation there and every few years they plant cotton.

I liked the look of the road. It was a cloudy day as so many have been so I moved toward big shapes. The cotton is the “little bit “to the right of the painting

If you would like to buy "Little Bit of Cotton" please contact Ronald Bayens

bayens@bellsouth.net

334-740-1750

5 Guys

5 Guys

Oil on Canvas

9 x 12 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

September 18, 2009

Occasionally I will take suggestions on what to paint for the 100 paintings of Auburn. This suggestion came from my daughter Savannah. 5 Guys is a new hamburger restaurant on College St. It’s very good and usually crowded. Her intentions were for me to paint the outside and while painting treat her to a hamburger and fries.

When I got there I couldn’t really find a good outdoor view but I could see a spot to paint the inside. I could park myself outside the window and paint the inside. It was a near impossible scene. People were in constant motion, there is light everywhere and I had no room to move back from my easel. It was challenging me so I decided to give it a try.

I painted by just spotting color everywhere I could and painting what didn’t move, which wasn’t much. Then I put in the people. While I painted I met several old friends and entertained children who always see a painter as a performer, which I guess I was.

I tried to eat some fries while painting, but they started to taste a bit like paint. In the end I couldn’t really make out what I had done until I got back to the studio. Busy group scenes can be fun but I promised myself to find a nice pastoral scene the next day.

If you would like to buy "5 Guys" please contact Ronald Bayens at

bayens@bellsouth.net

334-740-0077

Stormy on the Plains

Stormy on the Plains

Oil on Canvas

8 x 10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

September 19, 2009

I think this game day in Auburn will always be remembered for the big storms that rolled through right before the game delaying it for an hour.

This painting was done earlier in the day just outside the university library near Samford Street. I started with the relaxed feeling a painter gets with an overcast day. I didn’t have to rush because there was no light to make shadows to chase, however the relaxation didn’t last long.

Soon it got darker after I was well under way then the skies opened up and the rain came down heavy. What do you do when it rains while painting, keep painting oil and water don’t mix. Sometimes I like the strange rough texture I get went water runs through the paint. It would have been fine but then out comes the sun! I saw an opportunity to catch it on the white tent to add some drama to a day that would see much more.

That was the only painting I did that day after that I was off to kayak the Tallapoosa. I different kind of thrill that included a 15 foot drop over a waterfall.

Sorry about the lack of paintings recently

My internet has been out the past few days.

Daytime Lights

Daytime Lights

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

September 12, 2009

It was a very overcast day on game day and about half an hour before the game the stadium lights were put on. They are so powerful that they outshone the sun that was trying to creep through the clouds behind.

I thought the small section of the corner of the upper decks would be interesting. The people in all their orange and blue became just a series of dots from far below.

If you would like to buy "Daytime Lights", please contace Ronald Bayens at

bayens@bellsouth.net

334-740-1750

Tiger Walk

Tiger Walk

Oil on panel

8 x 10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

September,12, 2009

On game days I put my painting gear in a back pack and walk the campus of Auburn University. The whole place is alive with tailgaters waiting for there beloved Tigers to play. One of the traditions at Auburn id the Tiger Walk. Outside the stadium there is a walkway set up down the middle of the street and a couple of hours before the game the team walks down it so the fans can see them and show their appreciation.

What possessed me to paint thousands of people moving about I don’t know. When I started there weren’t that many. But more and more came. I painted everything around the crowd and then held my breath and just put the crowd in.

I was a very exciting place to be. The painting gathered a lot of interest and I am happy to say a couple from Montgomery bought on the site.

If you would like to buy "Tiger Walk", please contact Ronald Bayens at

bayens@bellsouth.net

(334)-740-0077

Evening at the Farm

Evening at the Farm

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

September 10, 2009

It was evening at the horse farm and I decided to sit and paint. I was tired from working on a portrait all day and thought this could be a relaxed painting.

Little did I know I set up on a colony of ants, also the sun was setting quick. Between being bitten and chasing the light it was not the relaxing time I had hoped for, but who says painting is suppose to be relaxing. Viewing the painting should be

If you would like to buy "Evening at the Farm", please contact Ronald Bayens at

bayens@bellsouth.net

Season Opener

Season Opener

Oil on panel

8 x 10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

The opening game for football season is a huge event here. Everyone is brimming over with anticipation for the new season. Today the game started later so most of the crowd were also brimming over with alcohol.

This made for many interesting conversations with passers by as I painted. Everyone was very complimentary toward my painting. I just hope they remember me the next day.

If you would like to buy "Season Opener", please email Ronald Bayens at

bayens@bellsouth.net

Flags and RV's

Flags and RV’s

Oil on Canvas

8 x 10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

September 5, 2009

On game days the fields around the university campus fill with RV’s. It is an instant village. It always amazes me that everyone can maneuver the trailers into such tight configurations.

On every RV there is a flag. Over the years there seems to have been a contest to see who can produce the tallest flag pole. The result is dozens of flags at all different heights over the campers, making it the modern equivalent of a medieval tournament.

If you would like to buy "Flags and RV's", please contact Ronald Bayens at

bayens@bellsouth.net

Campus Tailgating

Campus Tailgating

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

September 5, 2009

This is the view from in front of the Presidents mansion on the Auburn Campus looking north. I have always loved this long view with the building with the cupola at the end. It has a majestic quality about it.

On this day the football season opener the street was filled with cars and there was activity everywhere and food everywhere! Tailgating is a tradition that is unique to the U.S. Growing up in Canada I never experienced it. Perhaps tailgating for hockey games in -40 degree weather wouldn’t be such a good idea.

if you would like to buy "Campus Tailgating", contact Ronald Bayens at

bayens@bellsouth.net

Walking Trail

Walking Trail

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

September 4, 2009

I think I will put in my future plans to dedicate one year to painting trails. The way the sun filters through the trees onto a forest trail never ceases to dazzle me.

This trail is at the Forestry Ecology Preserve in Auburn.

If you would like to buy "Walking Trail", please contact Ronald Bayens at

bayens@bellsouth.net

Tree Study #1

Tree Study #1

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

September 4, 2009

Just like a golfer can’t go to the driving range enough a painter can’t make enough studies. I’ve looked at this tree out my studio window a thousand times but by painting it I learned a little more.

All trees have their own distinct characteristics, by studying them you can be true to them with paint instead of reverting to a stereotype tree like we all drew when we were five.

If you would like to buy "Tree Study #1", please contact Ronald Bayens at

bayens@bellsouth.net

Apple Grapes

Apple and Grapes

Oil on Canvas

8 x 10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

This was a demonstration for my painting class. I probably wouldn’t be doing so many still lives were it not for teaching. I have found that the more I do the more I like them.

I teach three of the same classes each week so there are two more paintings just like this. Each time I paint them I learn a little bit more about painting.

If you would like to buy "Apple and Grapes", please contact Ronald Bayens at

bayens@bellsouth.net

Hardware Co.

Hardware Co.

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

August, 29, 2009

It was a grey rainy morning in Auburn and once again I had no idea what to paint. I decided it would be best to just backpack around with my gear and see what caught my eye.

I had a street scene in mind but just couldn’t commit to a view. After getting some art supplies at J&M I headed down to Taylor’s bakery for a coffee. I saw a nice interior in there that I will have to paint some day, but I left with just a coffee. I went out the back door and walked through the parking lot and saw the back of the Hardware Co.

Everything was in drab grays with a spot of color here and there. It looked to me like part of an old fishing village. Halfway through painting a UPS truck parked right in front of me. The driver was nice enough to move it back and I promised to intercept the parking ticket person should they come by. I had a nice talk with a police officer as I painted too.

I always like painting in town, it is a nice way to see the familiar in a new way.

If you would like to buy "Hardware Co.", contact Ronald Bayens at

bayens@bellsouth.net

Pepper and Pear

Pepper and Pear

Oil on Canvas

8 x10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

This was done as a demonstration for a painting class.

If you would like to buy "Pepper and Pear", contact Ronald Bayens

bayens@bellsouth.net

Red Door Nocturn

Red Door Nocturne

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

Some days time runs out before I can get out and paint. This will usually make me stay in and paint a still life but my son Christian said I should try to paint a night scene.

This little shop is on Gay Street in Auburn. It is an odd old building that sits all by it self between two parking lots. Its current tenant sells vintage clothing and the combination of light and the window display caught me. It was difficult to paint at night but I now have a dozen ideas for other paintings.

If you would like to buy this painting, please Email me at

bayens@bellsouth.net

Western Ring

Western Ring

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

This was painted at Southern Springs Equestrian Center. My daughter Savannah was working with her pony in the ring in the late afternoon. The sun was going down and the lighter kept getting warmer. I chased the light so long that she was finished with the pony before I could put them in the painting.

If you would like to buy this painting, please contact me at

bayens@bellsouth.net

Frozen Marsh

Frozen Marsh

Oil on Canvas Panel

8 x 10 inches

2006

Haliburton, Ontario

Painting in the winter is an experience especially when it is cold and today it was cold. You have to dress appropriately to be able to stay relatively still for an hour or two. Even with warm clothes, the cold creeps in without movement. Probably the most difficult part besides the stiff paint is painting with gloves on. It is hard to be dexterous with a brush when you have a layer in insulation around your fingers.

I was painting with my friend renowned Canadian artist Tony Bianco. It is always a blessing to paint with an artist of such talent. It gives you a chance to get quality opinions of your work as you paint.

We had found a nice bend in a road that crossed a frozen marsh. There were still bits of open water where the main channel came through.

It was midday and I painted one direction while Tony was a little ways down painting in the opposite direction. After an hour or so I went to look at his painting and saw that he was painting a sunset over the trees. The sun was directly over our head! It looked great.

His years of painting in the field have given him a visual knowledge bank that he can pull from to improve any work. I always learn something new every time we paint together.

When the painting was done it was nice to hop in the van and turn the heat up to full.

Mary Full of Grace

Mary Full of Grace

Oil on panel

8 x 10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

August 19, 2009

There is a little statue of the Virgin Mary in a garden behind St. Michael’s Church on Magnolia. She has been a constant in my life since I moved to Auburn many years ago. The town has changed and grown and so have my children, but the little statue of Mary stays the same, but soon that too will change. The church will be moving and I’m sure that she will move too.

If you would like to buy this painting please email me at

bayens@bellsouth.net

Test Plots

Test Plots

Oil on panel

9 x 12 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

August 21,2009

I think I will find an endless source of painting material with the Auburn University agricultural test plots. They look different every time I see them.

If you are interested in buying this painting, contact me at

bayens@bellsouth.net

The Mushroom

The Mushroom

Oil on Canvas Panel

8 x10 inches

2007

Killarney, Ontario

This was the first time I had been back in Ontario in the fall in twelve years. I had travelled alone to spent some time with my Mom who had rented a cottage in Killarney. Killarney is a wonderland at the north end of Georgian Bay. The landscape is mountains of exposed quartzite that makes the hills always look like they are covered in snow. The lakes are emerald green and turquoise blue.

My friend Tony Bianco had come up to spend two days painting with me. Will all the scenery around, you would think that finding something to paint would be easy. This is not always the case.

We headed up a trail that promised to have the chance of opening up to a grand view of the mountains and so off we went. After a mile lugging painting gear, we were still in the woods. We decided the trail would do.

As happens so many times when I paint with Tony, he painted looking up and I painted looking down. I found a large mushroom and liked the way it sat in the leaves.

We had a great laugh over my choice of subjects. It later became part of an ongoing joke. When I would botch a painting he would say, “Well you will always have the mushroom”.

Thinking of Vincent

Thinking of Vincent

Oil on panel

9 x 12 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

August 18,2009

I painted the same group of flowers with a darker background for my afternoon class. It worked well but it got me thinking of, “why not use the same yellow background as Van Gogh, worked well for him”. I changed the backdrop and proceeded to use a lot of yellow.

$100

Windsock

Wind Sock

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

August, 18, 2009

Sometimes I never know what I am going to paint, so I just head off in one direction and see what happens. I had to get some ink for my printer and it brought me close to the airport.

The airport was very quiet and it was overcast. I liked the abstract nature of the runways and the one bit of color from the wind sock.

$100

Live Oak and Tombstones

Live Oak and Tombstones

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

August, 19, 2009

I have driven past this cemetery hundreds of times but have never stopped to look. I know it is an old cemetery set up for African Americans after the civil war. The place is in poor shape, many of the tombstones are damaged or missing.

In the middle is a large oak tree. It has seen many of the changes in Auburn and the south.

$100

Tangled Sunflowers

Tangled Sunflowers

$100

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

August 15, 2009

Sunflowers have been a favorite of impressionist painters ever since Van Gogh squeezed out an entire tube of yellow and painted them. It is hard to say why they are so captivating, perhaps it is just the size or the bright yellow.

These sunflowers are part of Auburn University plot. They are part of a study as is everything else grown out there.

Goldfish

Goldfish

$100

Oil on Canvas

8 x 10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

August 14, 2009

The university has some wonderful little places hidden hear and there. One of my favorites is the goldfish pond behind Samford Hall. The pond has nice lilies and other aquatic plants but mostly it is the bright orange goldfish that make it special.

The light shifted fast over the corner of the pond and I had to keep reassessing what could move with the light and what couldn’t. At first I didn’t even think about putting fish in I was just going for the reflections but as soon as I saw them swim into the picture I know I had to try and paint them.

Auburn Water Tower

Auburn Water Tower

$100

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

August 14, 2009

Auburn had great clouds today. I had painted in the morning but after being in the studio and seeing the clouds on the way to the bank I went and got my paints. There is a field on the university campus that is used mostly for people to park their RV’s during football games. It gives a nice open view of the sky. In the far distance you can see the top of a large white water tower.

I used my motorcycle to get to the painting site. It is a great way to get around unless there is a cloud burst. Which is exactly what happed on the way back to the studio.

Yellow Lilies

Yellow Lilies

$100

Oil on Canvas

16 x 20 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

This painting was done as a demonstration for my Tuesday painting class. The lilies are from my front yard.

Mid Morning Sanford Hall

Mid Morning Sanford Hall
$100

Oil on Canvas
5 x7 inches
2009
Auburn, Alabama

There is nothing in auburn that has been painted, photographed and drawn as much as Samford Hall. For that reason I have avoided painting it for the years I have lived here. But you can’t help being drawn to it. It is simply a beautiful building and it is instantly recognizable as the unchangeable heart of Auburn.

I decided looking up at it was my best bet. I like looking at things in a way we are not used to. The sky framed the towers and it the building suddenly could have been on the Grand Canal.

It was a difficult piece with all the angles for a small 5”x 7” but the most difficult thing was that I brought nothing to wipe my brushes with. I was all set up and I didn’t want to go back to the studio. I glanced down at my feet and figured that a painting is worth sacrificing a pair of socks for. It was all done by 10:30. You never lost track of time while painting a tower with a clock and chimes in it.

Pond Reflections

Pond Reflections

Oil on Canvas

8 x 10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

One of my students Sheri has started a Plein Air painting group in Auburn. She has asked me several times to come to“paint out” and something has always come up. Finally I had time this Wednesday.

The site was Town Creek Park in Auburn. The park has a man made pond that has a robust turtle and algae population. I was attracted to the little white flowers growing along the edge of the pond and wished there were lily pads to fill out the composition. Fortunately there were clumps of algae and duck weed. I figured if I kept it loose enough they would have the same effect. There is a lot to paint in this little park and I will be back there soon.

Farm Pond

Farm Pond

$100

Oil on Linen
8x10 inches
Fall of 2006
H & H Horse Quarters, Auburn, Alabama

At the farm where we keep our horse, Remington, and where my wife and daughter ride, is a small fishing pond. It is hidden behind the back pastures and you only see it when you come upon it by accident.

Like many ponds in Alabama, this area is the result of an earthen dam. The remnants of drowned trees still litter the water, becoming perches for a variety of birds.

This landscape was painted late in the day. It was very overcast and still. Light was hitting the trees and the effect wouldn’t last. I worked quickly but had to stop often to throw a stick in the water for my Labrador Retriever, Sully. He still doesn’t understand the whole art thing.

Fallen Flower

Fallen Flower

$100

Oil on Canvas

8 x 10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

These flowers have been blooming in my yard for months now. They are very simple and even when they are wilting have a beautiful color. I thought it would be nice to let just the color of the followers dominate so they were placed in a white on white set up.

One flower lies wilted out of the vase. This was just for design but as I looked at it as I painted I thought of it more as a metaphor or symbol.

Still Life With Pear

Still Life with a Pear

$100

Oil on panel

8 x 10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

It has been a while since I have done a classical still life. It was a good day to stay in the studio as I have not gotten used to the Alabama heat since returning from Canada. I’ll have to brave it and head outside to paint soon.

Sunlit Window

Sunlit Window

$100

Oil on Canvas

5 x7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

Every morning I walk into the mansion’s back door and look into this room and see the light sparkling through the window and say to myself, “I should paint this”. This morning after eights years I finally painted it . I won’t wait so long next time

Log Jump

Log Jump

$100

Oil on Canvas

5 x 7 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

My daughter Savannah was attending a horse camp at Auburn University and on the final day the parents were invited to come out and watch. Any horse event involves a lot of waiting so I decided that I could get my daily painting while waiting.

Behind the rings where she was riding there were a series of cross country jumps. Some logs jumps, barrels, and fences. The log jump had an interesting color against the green grass and the large oak in the back framed it out. I haven’t painted a 5”x7” in a while and though it would be quick but as it turns out a painting is a painting “ no matter how small”.

Coosa River

Coosa River

Watercolor on paper

4 x6 inches

2009

Wetumpka, Alabama

All I can fit in my kayak is a small watercolor kit. It is the model of efficiency all folding up to about 3” x6”. It makes for a nice pause on the river to stop and paint. This spot was just to the side of Moccasin Gap. This is a popular spot for kayakers to surf in a large continuous wave.