Sarah Rogers

Medicine Bird. 2023. Mixed Media, primarily watercolor and oil stick.

(Currently displayed in the Art Masters 2023 exhibit at the Minnehaha Country Club.)

Legends and myths about crows and ravens are as old as recorded history. Ancient Roman seers foretold the future based on what they learned from crows. The Irish speak of “Raven’s knowledge”- an oracular ability to see and know everything. In Norse mythology, Odin had two ravens named Thought and Memory who flew around the world by day and reported to him at night. Closer to home, some Plains Native American Nations believed that Raven was the creator of the world and remains the bridge between this world and the spirit world.

In Sarah Roger’s art, the paint and how it moves is the focus – lines that appear and disappear, bold colors, and positive/negative spaces. “I choose traditional subjects and medium, but use both in non-traditional manners.” Sarah works on smooth surfaces so the paint can make its own textures. She applies several layers of pigment to achieve the strong colors that characterize her work. She also paints on clay board with a well-used toothbrush and other tools to create her own textures. Her subjects are recognizable but not realistic. “Each of us has an inner existence that calls for expression. We find joy and gratitude in that expression. My work is very personal, and I love what I do. The best reward is when people  me know how much they appreciate my work. I paint with joy, and a painting is successful when the viewer feels that joy.” Henry Miller said, “To paint is to love again, and to love is to live life to the fullest.

Born in Seattle, Sarah now lives in Sundance WY. She divided her early years between summers in the Black Hills of SD and winters in Florida. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Florida (after initially studying to be a neurosurgeon). After college she worked in Columbia, South Carolina, as a graphic designer for a printing and publishing company. A career took her to Madison Avenue in New York City for almost 10 years where she was an art director for an advertising agency.