LOOKING UP

Red Dirt NewsWhile Eunika Rogers’ new show at Blue Rain Gallery is themed around finding light—physically, emotionally and spiritually—her technique and process are equally important to her body of work. In roughly 8 pieces for her show Never Miss a Daylight,Rogers brings the landscape alive by painting with clay and other natural materials, “holding a conversation with the earth itself,” says Bekah Kolbe, manager of Blue Rain's Durango, Colorado, location. Rogers explains, “My primary intention is to explore fragility of the earth as it relates to time. I combine the origin of our existence (medium) with the subject, leading me and also the viewer to a thought-provoking narrative about our purpose and interconnectivity...I don’t just represent landscape in my work, but it is through this collaboration with nature that I construct pieces of that landscape onto itself, making it much more representative of the natural world.”

Something Heavens, natural foraged clay on canvas, 48 x 36 in.

For the new collection, Rogers started creating in the winter months, what she calls “the season of darkness,” with a focus on aspen trees and snow-covered mountains. “I became obsessed with light and looked for ways to surround myself in it physically and emotionally,” she says. “Living in Telluride, Colorado, white aspen trees and snow certainly helped. [For these subjects], the difference is how I look. I look up to see the light and I look through them in winter light. On both occasions, [the aspens, for instance], blend in into the light, leaving only their stark contrasts, iconic eye and shadowy pillars. The repetition of their trunks…is meditative; light inducing.”

Higher Self, natural foraged clay and mushrooms on canvas, 36 x 72 in.

For her snowy-peaked piece The Meeting Point, we see Rogers “looking up” to find answers during a time of grief and healing. “This is a painting of Mount Emma that I started painting in 2023 and finished after the death of my father,” says the artist. “The idea that I would never see him again— I had to give it some sense and explanation. I remember one of the first things that popped in my head was, ‘I will see him up there on top of peaks (he was a hiker and climber), and all I had to do was ‘look up.’ It was a comforting thought full of light and promise at that time.”

The Meeting Point, natural foraged clay and charcoal on canvas, 32 x 56 in.

Rogers also explains that she started to see and experience the chaos in the world and felt a profound sense of evil. “An idea of God, in a biblical sense, entered my thoughts (as a former atheist),” she says. “I ‘stepped’ into my aspen cathedrals theme looking for light, peace and answers. I started painting aspen trees almost like a protective wall and started to read the bible.”

In her profound piece Something Heavens,we see another example of Rogers’ focus on looking up into the light, “letting the trunk of aspens guide me up,” she says. “It sort of represents to me people kneeling in prayer in a cathedral looking up at an altar.” 

The Origin of Belief, natural foraged clay on canvas, 24 x 36 in.

As for Rogers’ process, we witness what the artist describes as "terroir painting,"— “a sophisticated method I have developed and continue to refine through rigorous experimentation and innovation,” she explains. “This process represents a dynamic exploration of earthy materials, with ongoing efforts to enhance its precision...These recent works are built upon a foundation of white clay wash, analogous to the gesso used in traditional painting, which provides a luminous and cohesive base for the layered compositions.”

To experience Rogers’ pieces in person, visit Blue Rain Gallery in Durango, Colorado from August 1 through 22. An artist talk will be held the opening day starting at 5 p.m. —

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