Written by Carrie Baseggio
![softly lit corner of the gallery featuring Hib Sabin sculpture in the foreground amongst hung Eunika Rogers paintings softly lit corner of the gallery featuring Hib Sabin sculpture in the foreground amongst hung Eunika Rogers paintings](https://blue-rain-gallery.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/post/blueraingallery_1955003786.jpg)
The natural world has amply provided artists with an abundant source of inspiration and allowed them to deliver works unearthed through their own unique lens. From paint pigment being sampled from flowers and berries to stone being carved, artists have long used natural materials in practical and creative forms. Eunika Rogers and Hib Sabin are two contemporary artists who utilize organic materials in their work to captivate audiences with beautiful imagery through canvas and sculpture.
![Gallery wall featuring a large monochromatic mountain landscape, with a sleek sculpture fusing crow and wolf centered below on a pedestal Gallery wall featuring a large monochromatic mountain landscape, with a sleek sculpture fusing crow and wolf centered below on a pedestal](https://blue-rain-gallery.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/post/blueraingallery_2136861268.jpg)
Their latest show, Spirit of the Woods, paid homage to their deep connection with nature and to the human and spiritual connections they hold dear. Foraging and collecting organic remnants of the earth and applying them to her canvas is the path of painter Eunika Rogers. Rogers, who patented the method in which she creates, directs unchangeable hues of clay, plant material, wine, or mushrooms onto her canvas and arranges the colors in a process similar to a topographic map.
![Corner of the gallery featuring more of the painter's nature-inspired works Corner of the gallery featuring more of the painter's nature-inspired works](https://blue-rain-gallery.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/post/blueraingallery_947232920.jpg)
Describing the intentionality behind her work, Eunika says, “I do not just represent landscape in my work, I construct the pieces of that landscape onto itself, making it much more representative of the natural world.
![Painting of a rocky mountain just above the treeline, depicted in great, monochromatic detail Painting of a rocky mountain just above the treeline, depicted in great, monochromatic detail](https://blue-rain-gallery.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/post/blueraingallery_397102801.jpg)
The landscape thus supplies both the subject matter and the materials themselves.” Amongst the landscapes Rogers depicts, is the mountainous terrain of her home in Telluride as well as the surrounding aspens that continuously captivate her. Immersing this imagery with the clay in which the inspiration came from, Eunika’s Terroir Paintings are a tribute to the natural world.
Discussing her process, Rogers states, “Clay is one of the world’s oldest mediums and I try to take the traditional pottery approach, using tiny brushes to bring out the details. I create a substance like a slip on pottery, and when the clay is wet it expands and acts like superglue. Unlike with actual paint, I cannot mix colors. So, I obtained my palette from the clay itself.”
![Two of the sculptors pieces, one a bird of brey creating a boat shape of its wings, the other of two wolves facing each other in a way that creates a dish shape Two of the sculptors pieces, one a bird of brey creating a boat shape of its wings, the other of two wolves facing each other in a way that creates a dish shape](https://blue-rain-gallery.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/post/blueraingallery_409731993.jpg)
Hib Sabin’s work is an amalgamation of world mythologies, and in his most recent renditions, a surrogate for human beings. Presenting in the form of allegorical animals, Sabin’s carvings depict his sculptural ascent and spiritual practice in tandem. As he began creating ritual implements for his own healing practice, Hib dived headfirst into a career as a skilled and reverent sculptor. Utilizing the abundant juniper wood in Santa Fe, Sabin crafts animals and beings that subtly whisper meaning and poetic substance.
![Two owl-themed bronze sculptures, one depicting an owl within an owl, the other two owls side by side Two owl-themed bronze sculptures, one depicting an owl within an owl, the other two owls side by side](https://blue-rain-gallery.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/post/blueraingallery_541308470.png)
The wisdom of owls, the spectrum of meaning in Ravens, and the cunning spirit of the coyote are portrayed with the feeling of tranquility in mind. Our connection with these beings are as tangible as the sculpture’s Hib creates. A reception for Eunika Rogers and Hib Sabin took place on July 5th at Blue Rain Gallery in Durango.
![Portrait of artist Eunika Rogers standing between two of her paintings Portrait of artist Eunika Rogers standing between two of her paintings](https://blue-rain-gallery.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/post/blueraingallery_765344494.jpg)
Click here to view available works by Eunika Rogers and Hib Sabin
Blue Rain Gallery, Durango
934 Main Avenue, Unit B
Durango, Colorado 81301
(970) 232-2033
Tuesday — Saturday: 10am — 6pm
Closed Sundays and Mondays