Charlie Hubbard:is the Dillsburg Area Public Library’s Featured Artist for March and April 2026!
What is the source of your inspiration?
I have always been fascinated by intricate details. Bare trees, a sailing ship’s rigging, and things a simple as a line of interlocked shopping carts. I call it simply ‘visual confusion’, but it certainly isn’t chaotic. Fractals display this detail as do the layered laser cut wood pieces.
How would you describe your art?
A large part of Fine Art Photography is simply recognition. Recognition of repeating patterns or opposing patterns in nature and capturing it. Sometimes the computer is used to simply enhance the scene, but sometimes DMW modifications better fit the image (Digitally Messed With … not an official acronym)
What do you enjoy most about creating new art?
Like any creative outlet, the urge never goes away, but it always changes over time, just like we do.
How do you start new work? Is your process always the same? If not, how does it change?
Photography – Anthropomorphism often rears its head and I see a line of concert goers in a picket fence, or a father-son relationship in two old trucks sitting along the side of the road. If I can capture that, it’s been a good day.
Fractals – Fractals are the result of applying a color gradient to the results of the Mandelbrot or Julia set as plotted on a computer screen (the computer runs the equation through thousands of iterations creating a pattern of self-similar shapes in ever decreasing size)That poor description of the creation of an artistic fractal also depends upon recognizing shapes that are pleasing and often appear to resemble reality.
Laser cut wood – Like most art, Mandala imagery always seems to show something different with each viewing, making it easy to focus in depth sometimes helping with meditation.
Do you have a favorite or “go to” technique when starting a work?
Nah, sometimes I get lost driving around all day to capture anything that looks like it could ‘say something’, and other times I do set out to actually find something that reflects the mood of the day.
Do you have a favorite medium? Has your preference changed over the years?
The favorite of anything is what we’re doing currently, if it isn’t, then change your attitude and make it so. Best of all is when you can merge several different mediums into one presentation.
Well, I used to write sad poetry when I was a sailor out to sea missing my family. I used to play and write short music pieces, I also carved sailing ships from broom handles I found lying about. I used to do woodworking, I used to do fluid acrylic painting, I used to create bonsai trees, I used to make stained glass pieces, then I needed to photograph some of these works … so I learned photography via the library. As you can see, I never learned proper sentence structure.
Do you ever experience a creative block? If so, how do you rejuvenate your creativity?
Most of my creative blocks revolve around naming pieces, titles. Some days it’s like … “A tree in a field with a fence in front of it”, and other days it’s a little more like “I dreamt I could fly”.
I once wrote a short piece titled: “How can you honestly title anything?” so yeah, there’s that.
I must confess I often ask my family for help with titles. I’m afraid I cannot accept “Untitled #7”.
Do you have a favorite/inspirational quote?
There’s always the attitude that an Artist never makes a mistake, they just aren’t finished yet.
My favorite: Creativity will always find a way through, regardless of the tools you possess.
Do you have any current or future projects you’d like to share?
I have made three layered laser cut and crudely painted carnival knock down dolls outlined with fuzzy fur, but to display them, I’d need to make a carnival counter with balls to throw, etc. My only problem to solve is how to make it so it’s not as big as my car.
If someone is interested in your work, how can they reach you?
(717) 512-8221
oginali@comcast.net
charliehubbard.com
Visit & View
You can visit Charlie’s work at the Dillsburg Area Public Library in March and April 2026.
Library hours are 10am-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-3pm Friday, and 10am-5pm Saturday. The Library closed at 3pm on Saturdays between July 1 and Labor Day.
Dillsburg Library is at 204 Mumper Lane, Dillsburg, PA.