Hagerstown Magazine - The Best of Life in Washington County & Beyond

July/August 2008
Portrait of the Artist
The artists here are part of a vibrant and growing assemblage living and working in Washington County. Not only do they enrich our community, they inspire others to create as well, helping to cultivate and continue a legacy of local art.

by Larissa Chace Smith + photos by Ryan Smith, Chace+Smith Photography

• • •

Caroline Orner: Expressing Balance and Universal Truth Through Sacred Geometry

For painter Caroline Orner, art is a macrocosmic expression. Her work expresses the architecture of spirituality that is in each of us, but is also universal in nature. It represents the semantics of balance, perfection and universal truth. Caroline describes her images as being founded in “sacred geometry.” As a young artist, she found she did not want to talk about herself. “Geometry started taking over, and I started learning more. The non-verbal communication in geometry is the perfect foil for me,” says Caroline in her apartment near Hagerstown City Park. And the spiritual element of sacred geometry has led her to better understand the spirit in all of us.

A well-established artist, Caroline was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Northern Virginia. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the Maryland Institute, College of Art in Baltimore in 1980. She has been teaching and exhibiting her works ever since, moving to Hagerstown two and a half years ago at the suggestion of relatives local to the area. After creating a substantial career for herself in the D.C. area, Hagerstown provides a welcomed sense of anonymity. She feels her art has been well received by local enthusiasts and admires the job the Washington County Arts Council is doing for the community. Caroline has participated in juried shows at the WCAC gallery and at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts.

An enthusiast of math and physics, she loves to explore these subjects, giving them visual form. But Caroline also relishes the more whimsical expressions of nature. The elements of precision and whimsy combine to give her work balance and substance. Color and nature also figure heavily in Caroline’s work. “Color is really important because it carries energy,” she says. “It has such an emotional response.” Kasimir Malevich and the abstract expressionist movement inspire her to continue her exploration of the impeccable nature of the universe. She knows a piece is not complete until she has had a meditative moment with it. “There is a little zen about doing art like that.

----

Sinclair Hamilton: Bringing a Dream to Life

n his 30 years as a sculptor, Sinclair Hamilton has created a multitude of figurative busts and animated figures, all inspired by a dream he had when he was nine years old. In the dream, he was in a house filled with sculptures, similar to the studio space he now owns in downtown Hancock. “It was the most fantastic space. I hadn’t paid much attention to sculptures until then, but it left an impression on me.” Since then, Sinclair has brought that vision to life. His studio space, a former bank built in 1910, lives and breathes with figurative sculptures. A double helix of human forms made of poultry netting hangs from the 24-foot-high ceilings — a project that will one day hang in a large atrium.

He recently created a spectacular piece for the Veteran’s Memorial in Hancock’s Widmeyer Park. This depiction of a child with her mother, pointing at the names of deceased soldiers from World War II, has been very well received, Sinclair says. “People have been quite moved because it is different from most veteran sculptures.” Sinclair has displayed his works at the Benjamin Art Gallery in Hagerstown as well as the Ice House Gallery in Berkeley Springs, W.Va., to name a few. He says that the opportunity to be creative and engage his intellect inspires him to continue evolving his art year after year. “I have been experimenting like a scientist, which is sometimes successful and sometimes not. But it’s a challenge, and it’s stimulating.”

Sinclair’s career as an artist began in Washington, D.C., where he lived for 25 years sculpting, teaching and exhibiting his work. He moved to Hancock six years ago and has greatly enjoyed the change in lifestyle. Sinclair plans to begin teaching in the area next winter to satisfy requests from people who are inspired by his work and wish to try it themselves. “[Washington County] is a good base of operations. It’s between three major metro areas, and I keep doing my work and finding new outlets and commissions.”

Actively involved in the local arts scene, Sinclair also is the head chairman for Hancock’s arts council. “It’s a great way to get people together and stimulate the town. I think [the arts] will make Washington County a more inviting place for people to move to and live in.”

----

Katie Paul: Constantly Creating Through Multiple Mediums

Born and raised in Hagerstown, Katie Paul attributes her artistic endeavors to her mother, who prompted her to pursue her talents at the Maryland Institute, College of Art. Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in sculpture and metalwork in 1999, Katie now works in an assortment of mediums — from doll making and soft sculpture to painting and sewing. Her home studio in downtown Hagerstown affords her plenty of space to work and host the occasional craft party with friends — appropriately named the “Katie Craft Club.” Making connections and staying creative drive her to continue honing her artistic skills.

Katie is inspired by the enduring relationships of her parents and grandparents, incorporating the concept of pairs and numbers divisible by two into her work; the cloth dolls she has on display in her studio often have four arms and four legs. Katie’s artistic themes range from the peaceful and aesthetic to the odd and deformed. Her dolls reflect her observation of children’s awkward innocence. Siamese twins in underwater scenes are also prevalent in her oeuvre. Fascinated by the human urge to find one person to be with forever, Katie believes Siamese twins are born with that person. In her art, water represents a silent, peaceful paradise for the twins to reside.

The artist describes her commitment to art as slightly compulsive — a drive that has led to her involvement in several juried shows at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, the Chambersburg Council for the Arts and the Washington County Arts Council. “I just can’t stop. I can’t hold still,” she admits. “I’m always crocheting, beading or have my sketchbook. I’m always thinking of something else to make.”

After living in Baltimore for four years, Katie describes Washington County as a comfortable, homey place to live and work. The lifestyle here allows her plenty of time and space for her creative endeavors. She hopes to continue to show her work in the area, making connections and reaching out to people with her art. “I don’t care if I ever sell anything,” she says. “If someone understands me, that’s fine.

----

Benjamin Humberson: Channeling the Warmth and Soul of Wood

Benjamin Humberson’s “Studio Niche” is filled with the sounds of musical artist Feist as he discusses his career as a woodworker, the creator of functional yet highly artistic furniture including rocking chairs and tables. The warm, earthy smell of sawdust permeates the air of his workspace. The purity of form and function are concepts Benjamin embraces above all else. His pieces embody a gentle balance between practicality and nature-inspired ornamentation. “People live in a crazy world. I feel better the more time I spend outside,” he explains. For this reason, Benjamin brings the outside in, leaving knots and cores in the wood he uses to create his multi-functional tables and timeless rocking chairs. His work is often described as “soulful.” This theme is paramount to the energy he puts into his woodworking; all his efforts must be heartfelt.

Benjamin, whose father built houses, was inspired by woodworking at a young age. “I can’t stop building stuff,” says Benjamin, whose experience includes architectural millwork restoration. A Garrett County, Md., native who spent time building pool cues in the Seattle area, he decided to move to Hagerstown and became a mill worker for a company housed in the same building on Prospect Avenue where his studio currently exists. Over the past eight years, Benjamin has expanded and developed his space to create what is now known as Studio Niche.

He enjoys being an artist living and working in Washington County. Being close to major metro areas provides him with a multitude of opportunities, while living in Hagerstown affords him the time and space to “just work,” with no rush hour and easy access to grocery stores and entertainment. “It’s fantastic — absolutely.”

Providing high-quality pieces at a fair price is also important to Benjamin. “I try to provide good stuff to good people,” he says enthusiastically. This is the reputation he has been working to build in Studio Niche, and he sees himself doing the same thing with his art in the future. Whether it is accenting the center of a table with river stones or putting the finishing touches on a sturdy rocking chair, Benjamin’s favorite thing about his work is the opportunity to bring objects to life. “I try to impart something special to it, make it real again, and shake it up.”

----

Lindsay Weaver: Incorporating Texture and Nature

ixed-media artist Lindsay Weaver possesses a love for process. Her environmentally inspired creations are the product of her need to nourish her spirit through the process of creative expression. “I like the process [of doing art],” the 24-year-old says. “It’s a time for me to be inside myself and get out what I’m feeling.” Whether she is making saggar-fired pots or textured ceramic tiles, painting or printmaking, having a meaningful and personal experience with her art is fundamental to Lindsay — superseding her need for approval from peers and art enthusiasts. “As long as I am happy with [my work] and enjoy the process, I don’t care as much if other people
like it.”

Lindsay was initially hesitant to pursue art as a career, but after trying out several colleges, she completed her bachelor of fine arts degree at Frostburg State University, focusing on ceramics and printmaking. “I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to do,” she explains. It was in a ceramics class at the university that Lindsay first became enamored with the hands-on, whole-body aspects of the medium. Since then, she has been creating ceramic pieces that incorporate the textures of nature, while her prints — such as one that features wind generators — demonstrate her interest in environmental practice and the affects of industry on the natural world. Echoed in her work is the ideology that humans must coexist with nature, respect it, live in it, but not try to manipulate or control it. Texture also plays a major role in her work; she wants people to be able to touch everything she makes and to become fully involved in the piece.

At present, Lindsay works at the Washington County Arts Council Gallery, where she enjoys being surrounded by local art and networking with other artists. She has benefited from the support of her family and art enthusiasts in the area, and hopes that local artists will continue to participate in the art community. Lindsay now works on her creations at home, painting in her room or throwing pots in her basement, but looks forward to one day calling studio space her own. “I want to keep growing, trying new things, and have space to spread out and really be able to work,” she says. “I see myself in a studio with a lot of windows.”

----

Todd Groesbeck: Exploring Individual Faces and Aging Cities

graphic designer by trade and fine artist at heart, Todd Groesbeck describes his compulsion to create as a “brain itch,” often finding himself drawing during meetings instead of taking notes — and habitually feeling the need to paint or draw. “I think a lot of artists have this,” says Todd, who earned a bachelor of fine arts degree at the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1979. Since moving to Hagerstown from Montgomery County four years ago, Todd has been focusing his creative drive on fine art projects, drawing inspiration from the unique characteristics and landscapes of post-industrial Hagerstown.

Using mostly oils on various surfaces such as Masonite, steel and canvas, Todd creates realistic images of machinery, industrial landscapes and human portraits — to name a few of his subjects — in his home basement studio. He is fascinated by the “wrecked beauty” of aging, industrial cities, but is also inspired by portraits of his family, such as the one of his daughter resting on an easel in his studio. Once a week, he sketches models with a small group of artists in Martinsburg, W.Va., nurturing his enduring curiosity about the intricacies of the human face. “I find people to be very interesting and challenging to paint, more so than inanimate objects,” Todd explains. “People have a soul and an essence. I enjoy that challenge.”

In the future, Todd plans to explore his interest in public art and submit more artwork to local and regional galleries. Though he occasionally feels isolated as an artist in Hagerstown, he hopes to see a more organized network of local artists develop in the near future. “It is tough to get in touch with [artists]. It would help if more artists knew each other and organized more shows.” Todd sees a lot of potential for Hagerstown’s art community, particularly through his involvement with the Washington County Arts Council. “Artists have always lifted up the community because they make it more interesting.”

Opening photo: Artist Todd Groesbeck