The painting depicts a scene in downtown Auburn, recognizable to most and intimately familiar to many more.
In the center stands one of the former oaks of Toomer's Corner in its best days.
Splotches of live oak leaves line its branches, visible against the backdrop of a midnight-blue sky. Toilet paper proudly sways from above and lays scattered on the ground below.
Sitting at its side and beneath its branches is Aubie, leaning against the base of its trunk, his giant feet pointed to the air and his tail curled behind him.
"He's definitely not drawn to scale," said Scott Brannan, candidly critiquing his work. "He's probably, like, twice as big as he should be. But Aubie's bigger than life anyway. He should be bigger than you would really see him."
The painting, titled "Midnight on Toomer's," is Brannan's latest work, created with official licensing from Auburn University and distributed through a partnership with Auburn Art.
It was unveiled a few days before A-Day, and consequently the final rolling of Toomer's Corner. Brannan, who graduated from Auburn in 2000, made the trip from his home in Knoxville, Tenn. to the Plains that Saturday. He spent the day personalizing and numbering prints of his new painting outside Auburn Art.
Brannan said the response was greater than anything he could have imagined.
"It was one of the coolest, most rewarding things that I've ever done because everybody loved it," Brannan said. "Elderly people, kids, college dudes, middle-aged women, everybody loved it. The response was just amazing."
Since then, the piece's popularity and the interest in Brannan's work have increased. Cliff L. Hare, owner of Auburn Art, have experienced the positive reaction firsthand outside of his store.
"We've had an incredible response to it," Hare said. "The prints have done incredibly well. We just started T-shirts as well, and they've been flying off the shelves. It's been a really, really good relationship with Scott, and he's really talented."
Brannan's partnership with Auburn Art started in October when Brannan entered one of the store's artist search competitions.
Dan Middlebrooks, Brannan's childhood friend and roommate through college, said he saw Brannan's talent all along.
However, it wasn't until the two left Auburn that Brannan truly picked up his brushes again in 2003, starting with a painting of his favorite Auburn player, Ronnie Brown.
"After we graduated he started getting back into it," Middlebrooks said. "And I had always encouraged him to do it, because he had skills. He showed me pictures that he did when we were in middle school and stuff, and they were really good. I'm not surprised because I've known him since we were kids, and he's always been good at it."
Brannan is set to paint more than he ever has, receiving more offers for commissions in the past three months than throughout his entire career. Meanwhile, Hare and Brannan promise Auburn fans will see more of Brannan's work on Auburn Art shelves this fall.
"We're hoping that we'll have a really good football season this year," Hare said, "and there'll be some really good moments that he can play off of and come up with some new stuff."
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