Image courtesy of Barbara Rogers Art professor Barbara Rogers will be visiting universities in the United Arab Emirates to lecture and exhibit some of her paintings, including 'Avalon 3,' pictured above.

A UA arts professor plans to showcase her painting techniques and display her artwork to two universities in the Middle East through Dec. 5.

Barbara Rogers will be presenting art workshops to students at the University of Sharjah and Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, according to Rogers' assistant, Georgia Conover.

Rogers combines abstract painting with botanical stencils using elaborate colors and layers. She plans to demonstrate her stenciling and painting techniques to students at the university, Conover said.

Rogers has visited many gardens around the world to create stencils of botanicals for her artwork, and she recently returned from a trip to Brazil and Argentina, Conover said.

Rogers, who arrived at the University of Sharjah on Nov. 21, opened her exhibition of 15 "abstract botanical" paintings Wednesday titled "Bustan al Janaa," Arabic for "Gardens of Paradise," according to a press release.

"This morning I was awakened at the first hint of daylight by the call to prayer for Muslim faithful. I feel like I am definitely in the Middle East," Rogers said in an e-mail.

She said she has had the rare opportunity to teach both men and women together in her workshops at Sharjah.

"The women students do good work and they do this while wrapped in an abaya. Not an easy thing to do," Rogers said.

An abaya is a long sleeveless outer garment worn by women in Arab countries.

Rogers was invited by Kimberley Lund, a former student of hers and a professor at the University of Sharjah, to teach and exhibit her artwork.

Rogers said she had always wanted to visit the Middle East.

"The campus is huge, new and extremely grand in scale. The closest large city is Dubai. Dubai has countless freeways, high-rise buildings, posh resorts, Starbucks and every other international chain of food and clothing stores," Rogers said.

Rogers will lecture and receive an honorarium at the Abu Dhabi campus of Zayed University this week, according to a press release.

Art collection and trading has grown in popularity in recent years, making Rogers's visit to the United Arab Emirates favorable at the moment, Conover said.

Rogers plans to return to teaching at the UA art department for the spring semester, Conover said.