Window Tulips

Window Tulips

$100

Oil on Canvas

16 x 20 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

I thought that finding something to do with tulips would be easy. They are so colorful and simple; surely I could just throw together a set up. I went though idea after idea and nothing caught me. To make it more difficult the tulips were drooping terribly.

To remedy the droop I put holes in a Styrofoam coffee cup, shoved the tulips in and put the whole thing in a pot. I then carried the pot from place to place until it landed on my studio window sill. At that point I was ready to throw it on the floor and paint the mess.

I liked the shear curtain and the glazed pot. I little fine tuning and it was ready to be painted.

Back From Canada!- Leaving the Shade

Leaving the Shade

$100

Oil on Canvas

8 x10 inches

2009

Auburn, Alabama

This was attempting to paint the heat of Alabama. I was looking for a place to paint in Auburn and I thought the farmers market would be the perfect choice. I packed up all my stuff, went to the market, bought some flax seeds, looked all around and decided that nothing was doing it for me . With that the case I didn’t want to fail at a painting with an audience.

I drove over to the area where the university studies cattle. I never could resist a cow painting. The cows however had taken refuge from the sun under the tall pine trees. I was tired of looking for something to paint so I settled on the trees.

The light was very harsh so I decided to boost the color and show the heat. Toward the end of the painting the sun was going down and out came the cows. I kicked around the idea of putting them in for about 5 minutes and before they got too close sketched them in.

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.