Karen Brown-Jackson (left) and artist Faith Humphrey Hill (right) stand next to the fiber portrait Humphrey Hill made of Brown-Jackson’s father, Tuskegee Airman Dr. Harold Brown. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TUSTY

Textile artist Faith Humphrey Hill doesn’t just use her art to showcase her subjects. For her, turning fibers into images is a way to build a connection with her subject, especially when it’s a complete stranger.

“I love drawing strangers I’ve never met before,” said Humphrey Hill. “I’m a visual learner. I meet and learn about people by studying them. I’ve met a lot of people by drawing them.”

The Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council (GPCAAC) is hosting an exhibition of Humphrey Hill’s work at the Arts Garage (TAG) that runs through Sunday, September 15. On August 15, the GPCAAC hosted an artist reception in honor of Humphrey Hill, where she explained the intricate process of creating portraits with fiber.

Karen Brown-Jackson, right, hugs artist Faith Humphrey Hill. Brown-Jackson was overwhelmed by the fiber portrait Humphrey Hill made of her father, Dr. Harold Brown. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

“I start by drawing the portrait and then load it into my computer,” she said. “I use a knitting machine from the 1980s that I hacked to work with my computer.”

Humphrey Hill also owns two knitting machines from the 1950s. She will bring all three to TAG when she teaches textile arts classes open to the public from September 12-14. For information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/512595721274991?ref=newsfeed.

Humphrey Hill said the mix of fiber and portraiture gives her art an intimacy.

From left: Jonnie Myers-Debbink, Faith Humphrey Hill and Dr. Marsha Bordner stand next to the fiber portrait Humphrey Hill made of Bordner’s late husband, Dr. Harold Brown. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

When people talk about knitting, she says, they use words like warmth and comfort. Textile art allows her to convey a sense of closeness through her work.

“It creates a bridge between the people who see it and the subject,” she said.

The highlight of Humphrey Hill’s exhibition is a portrait of the late Dr. Harold Brown, a Tuskegee Airman and American military hero who spent his final years at Catawba. The artist reception was held three days before Brown’s 100th birthday. Brown’s widow, Dr. Marsha Bordner, and his daughter, Karen Brown-Jackson, attended the reception. They were thrilled with the portrait.

An exhibition of works by textile artist Faith Humphrey Hill is taking place at the Arts Garage in Port Clinton through September 15. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

“When we went in and saw it from a distance, it was impressive. It was beautiful,” Bordner said. “Captivating – that’s the right word. It was captivating.”

Brown-Jackson teared up as she spoke about the impact the portrait had on her.

“It was like he was saying, ‘I’m here,'” she said. “It was like he was talking to me.”

On August 15, the Arts Garage hosted an artist reception showcasing the work of textile artist Faith Humphrey Hill. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

Humphrey Hill told Brown-Jackson that the portrait of Brown that hangs at TAG was the second version she created. She wasn’t happy with the first one, so she started again.

“The first one was multi-colored, but I felt the colors distracted from his face, soul and spirit,” she said. “I wanted it to be perfect.”

TAG is located at 317 W Perry St. in Port Clinton. For more information, visit www.gpcaac.org.