COLLABORATION WITH NATURE

Blue Rain Gallery hosts the nature inspired works of Eunika Rogers and Hib Sabin.

For the Blue Rain Gallery show Spirit of the Woods,opening in early July, artists Eunika Rogers and Hib Sabin present their own interpretation of, or collaboration with, nature. Working in different mediums, they “[harness] the magic of natural elements,” says gallery associate Carrie Baseggio. “Their works share a deep feeling of serenity and channel the magic of the forest by merging organic materials into artistic expression. Their upcoming show is something we are honored to bear witness to.”

Eunika Rogers, Dissolving Time, natural foraged clay on canvas, 31 x 48"

Rogers will have around four new works in the show, illustrating a unique style she has trademarked as “Terroir Painting,” which she explains is composed of organic, found/foraged materials in nature, primarily clay; and flowers, mushrooms, wine and earth minerals. “[My] focus is on different colors from these materials which are used as a traditional colored painting medium (oil, acrylic, watercolor) on a painting pallet,” she explains. “These naturally colored materials are then applied to canvas or watercolor paper using a brush.”

The artist’s focus, or rather inspiration, has been her home amid the Colorado landscape. “My latest pieces are about ‘finding light,’” Rogers explains. “Even though it is a continuation (in terms of subject matter) on what I’ve been doing, I’ve been thinking about finding light in composition and the meaning of that composition.” 

Eunika Rogers, I Watch as it Leaves Me, natural foraged clay on canvas, 36 x 36"

Her new body of work is also imbued with a much more emotional component, brought on by her father’s passing one year ago. “I have been lucky. I had not dealt with much trauma of losing someone close, so this was a new experience for me,” she says. “It really put my painting theme to a test. I used it as a therapy and as a way of communicating with him.”

The show will include Rogers’ one-of-a-kind pieces titled I Watch as it Leaves Me—the only piece depicting aspen leaves. “I was hiking in an aspen grove as they were changing colors, being one of many in awe of the scene and light. While everyone is looking up, I am looking down—foraging. It was after a heavy rain and many leaves were down on the forest floor, trail and in rain puddles. The painting reminds me of where we come from and where we are going—dust to dust. As somber as it sounds, I tell myself that it is a beautiful process. When I forage for clay, and find it, I often find small impurities in it; bits of plants, stones—and I think about how I paint with history.”

Hib Sabin, Coyote and Wolf Spirit Canoe, bronze with patinas, ed. of 30, 6½ x 9½ x 4½"

Santa Fe based artist, Hib Sabin, is also enchanted by nature and embraces its many spiritual aspects. “His work begins as a juniper wood carving, [often translated into bronze], and is inspired by his interests in shamanism, animism, legend and mythology...,” explains a Blue Rain representative. “His forms are mythical and dream-like, evoking energies of ritual artifacts that encourage the viewer to go beyond what one sees…Ultimately, he aims to explore a spiritual bonding between man and nature.” Sabin adds that the animal imagery he cultivated earlier in his carving now assumes a new role, becoming surrogates for human nature and the human condition.

Eunika Rogers, There in the Silence, natural foraged clay on canvas, 65 x 24"

This is depicted in show piece Wrapped in Dreams, featuring an owl wrapped up tightly, with eyes shut. “The animal is dreaming and contained within itself,” says Sabin. “This is about how we, as humans, are dreaming within our own containment, but the beholder, or collector, must make out what it truly means to them. I don’t tell all.”

Hib Sabin, Wrapped in Dreams, bronze with patinas, ed. of 50, 11 x 3¼"

Sabin also showcases ritualistic pieces that have been part of an ongoing series involving animals and boats. Coyote and Wolf Spirit Canoe—with animal heads on each end of a canoe—reflects the artist’s interest in shamanistic healing practices. “The powerful part is not the animals, but the space or the energy between the two animals,” he says. “The canoe holds that energy in place.”

Spirit of the Woods opens on Friday, July 5 with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m., at Blue Rain Gallery’s Durango, Colorado, location. —

Blue Rain Gallery  934 Main Avenue, Unit B • Durango, CO 81301  (970) 232-2033 • www.blueraingallery.com