Today we’d like to introduce you to Duke Rogers
Hi Duke, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Now that I am retired, I have the time to engage in my passion for oil painting. I did not realize how much I had missed being involved in the creative process of painting. One of the most exciting things about being a scientist was that curiosity drove a lot of what I did. The same is true for me as an artist. There is that there is so much to learn and so much room for continued growth in the craft. My first ever painting was done outside (I did not know what plein air painting was at that time) and it was of a lake located on Fort Jackson, South Carolina. This past September I enrolled in a workshop sponsored by the Plein Air Painters of Utah, and I finally got back out to paint plein air! I was taught by an awesome group of artists and that four-day workshop helped me immensely. I believe my experiences as a field biologist and mammalogist have provided me with a unique perspective that I intend to portray in my artworks.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are challenges one faces in any endeavor. My biggest challenge is time. On the one hand, I am fortunate that I have the time and resources to paint and develop as an artist now that I am retired. But the biggest challenge for me is that I turned 70 this past July and the number of years I have left to devote to my craft is limited.
Navigating social media and becoming known as an artist has also been a challenge. Obviously, this is a process, and it takes considerable effort above and beyond the time I spend doing art. I must practice the craft to become better and so that’s what I am doing.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I think every artist is inspired by the things with which they are familiar and/or find inspirational and we want to share our creations with others. Being a Biologist-turned- artist, I am inspired to paint what I consider beautiful scenery, animals, and plants. I am also inspired by places and culture. So, for example, because I have spent a lot of time travelling and working in México as a biologist, I naturally gravitate to depicting my feelings for that country and its people through my art. Likewise, I have grown to love the landscapes and scenery in the west, and I feel fortunate to be able to paint that imagery. My painting style is realist, and the most common comment I receive about my artwork is that it “looks like a photograph.” Although that is meant as a complement, a good number of artists eschew the idea that paintings should be like a photograph. Although I tend to agree with this point of view, my training as a scientist pushes me to maintain a certain amount of realism in my work. I suppose that I would like my work to be viewed as “visual realism”, meaning that my artworks appear to be photo-like, but at second glance can be readily discerned as an oil painting.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I already have personal success because I am happily married and have very good relationships with my three grown up children and their families. Defining success in the art world is more difficult because I will continue to evolve and grow as an artist for as long as I am able to paint. And I plan on enjoying every moment of that journey. On the more practical side, I think my success as an artist would be based, at least in part, on knowing that folks are emotionally moved when experiencing what I create, whether that be through showing my paintings online, in places of business, in galleries, or as commissioned pieces.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: #dukerogerspainter
