White Water Kayaking in Canada

Well, Here's what I've been doing on my vacation... hitting all the white water I can find. This is a picture that my son took of me on "Gull River". We hit this about three days after we hit the great Ottawa River. There aren't many pictures from that adventure, though because my son and I were just trying to stay alive through the class 4-5 (on a scale of 1 to 5) rapids. This surfing hole was located at the bottom of a run called "Otter Slide" in which the water rushes down rocks to a depth of abut 3 feet and then back up and into run off water. We learned that we were getting into some major running water when we read in a brochure that "if you have to bail [out of your boat] before you reach Otter Slide, abbandon you're boat and swim to shore as hard as you can." Needless to say, my son and I had hit some of the most extreme white water thus far in our lives.

Canada Vacation

Dear Subscribers

I am terribly sorry that there have not been daily paintings for the past few days. I have taken my family up to Canada for vacation for the last two weeks of July. Unfortunately, with such a short ammount of time and so many relatives to see, I have not had time to do my daily paintings. I have, however gotten lots of pictures which will be posted to my blog as soon as I can.

Sincerly

Ronald Bayens

Trumpet Vine

Trumpet Vine

$100

Oil on Canvas

8 x 16 ianches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

I have had this long narrow canvas for a while and have always wanted to paint a landscape on it. So many times I picked it up only to “chicken out” and go for another 8” x10”.

This time I took it and was determined to paint a picture on it. I decided to go to the forest on the University grounds that the Forestry department manages. It is mostly treed and had lots of trails. I have walked it many many times with the dogs and found it a very peaceful place.

I spotted the trumpet flower vine when I parked the van and I examined it for several minutes. It had such a long arc through the bushes with a simple grouping of three flowers on the end. It was perfect for a long canvas.

Pears

Pears

$100

Oil on Canvas

14 x18 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

I was having a difficult morning. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t motivate myself to paint. I went to Keisel Park in auburn and thought I would find something but still no motivation.

I sat under a shade tree for an hour really getting down that I couldn’t paint. There was a pear tree about 15 feet from me and I was fascinated by the light on the leaves and pears. I wondered whether such a chaotic grouping could be painted. After talking to a friend who assured me it could be done I set up in the blazing sun and started.

All was going well until a car pulled up in the parking lot near by and a couple decided to have an hour long spat. I wish I had my ipod at the time. I focused through the distraction and was pleased when I finished.

Irises

Irises

$100

Oil on Canvas

11 x14 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

This was a painting done for my Tuesday Art Class. I really just wanted a simple floral with an equally simple color scheme, in this case yellow and purple.

It worked well and the class enjoyed painting it.

Pebble Hill

Pebble Hill

$100

Oil on Canvas

8 x10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

Pebble Hill is an old house that sits right across the street from my studio. I have wanted to paint it for years but being so close to the studio I usually talked myself into going in to work on a portrait.

I started this painting at dusk and liked the hot color on the house. However the sun was falling fast and I had to be even faster. Colors changed, shadows disappeared and soon it was moving toward dark.

I finished as the last bit of light faded from the sky and packed my easel in the dark.

Unknown Flower

Unknown Flower

$100

Oil on Canvas

8 x 10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

Finding a subject is both exciting and frustrating. In this case I was once again clueless on what I was going to paint but I decided that I would find it with in a small area. I searched around and had several possibilities. The big problem was the abundance of green, all the same shade.

Then I saw this weird flower all by itself hidden behind several branches of over grown privet. I moved the branches and tied one back to get a better view of the flower.

I worked fast because the mosquitoes were very active. I tried to keep the focus on the flower and rely on contrast over color to get the painting.