They come from different backgrounds -- those who received formal art education and those who received none; those producing in oil, acrylic or ink and those expressing themselves through stained glass or photographs. No matter the medium or the artist, all can be found at the Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center's second showing of "Diverse Art -- An Exhibition of 8 Artists," on display in Lusty Gallery through Wednesday, Oct. 31.

An artist reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, in Lusty Gallery with music by pianist Capers Bull and a chance to meet the featured artists -- Elsie Lewis Fogle, Alice French, Harriett Hilton, Rajas Londhe, George McDaniel, Pennie Sifly, Jo Wyrosdick and Ellen Zisholtz.

"We wanted to show the diversity. It's not just one medium on display," said Sifly, who was part of the original group of "Diverse" artists displaying their work at the center last October.

Originally from Minnesota, Sifly has only been painting for four years. But what started as glass painting during a visit to her sister's home has manifested into decorating vases, pitchers and other glass objects, which will be on display at the arts center. Sifly served in the U.S. Navy and at a home for mentally handicapped children before working at the Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg, from which she retired in 2004.

"Painting has opened a new world to me, which now includes several very special friends," she said.

Harriett Hilton, also a member of the original group of artists, said the eight artists and their showcased work will serve as an example of the "wonderful, diverse culture" that exists in Orangeburg.

"We just want to show how rich this area is, what we have to offer," she said. Hundreds of works will be on display, "something to strike e

veryone's fancy," Hilton added.

Hilton, who works at the Orangeburg County Library, taught herself about art by studying art history and technique books, as well as the paintings and drawings of classical and modern artists. She received a grant to paint "The Churches of Orangeburg County" in 2003, has shown with various arts center exhibits and led efforts to allow exhibits at OCL.

Wyrosdick, another returning artist, said much of her painting is done by intuition.

"I approach my paintings with the idea of using clear, clean colors and soft edges. ... I paint with large brushes and often use my fingers," she said. "I like strong contrasts between lights and darks. Sometimes, I exaggerate these contrasts."

Wyrosdick has been teaching art for 30 years, including the last 17 at Orangeburg Preparatory School.

French has been working with stained glass since her start in Iowa in 1980. She teaches mosaic classes and has incorporated the medium in windows, lamps, kaleidoscopes, Nativity scenes, wind chimes, bird baths and stepping stones, among others. French has participated in numerous art shows across the region, including in last year's "Diverse" show.

New to the scene this year is McDaniel, who also happens to be the only male exhibiting works at "Diverse Art." A photographer, McDaniel said he's been shooting pictures "longer than I'd like to tell you."

"I've been doing it a long time, and I enjoy doing it," he said. "It's a hobby, but it's also a part-time business," as McDaniel takes aerial photos of retail sites, farmland and the like.

McDaniel retired from South Carolina Bank and Trust in 1996, and since then, he and his wife, Virginia, have spent their time traveling, with McDaniel taking photographs of landscapes, historical sites, local landmarks -- even a pair of apples he picked up at Wal-Mart, which happens to be one of his selected works on display.

He prides himself in also doing his own photo framing and matting, and since going digital, McDaniel said he prints all his own work.

Londhe moved to Orangeburg from India in 1969 and said she paints as a hobby. Scribbling was a pastime when she was a child, but she said she did not rediscover her love of and talent for art until she took an Orangeburg League of Arts-sponsored watercolor workshop.

"My heart is in watercolors," she said, taking her inspiration from her travels overseas, architecture, Lowcountry sites -- anything that strikes her fancy, Londhe said. "I try to take something and make it my own," she said.

Londhe, who is retired from the payroll office at South Carolina State University, said she continues to take art classes and doesn't confine herself to just one medium. In fact, one of her pieces on display in Lusty Gallery is presented in ink. "Diverse Art" is the first show in which she has participated.

First-time "Diverse" artist Fogle is not new to the art scene. She has works included in permanent collections across the region, including in those of the Department of Public Utilities, the Regional Medical Center, South Carolina Electric & Gas and more, and has her own studio on Centre Street in Orangeburg where she teaches art to students ranging in age from 7 to 96 years old.

"I can't ever remember a time I didn't paint," Fogle said.

And, she said, anything can inspire her to pick up a brush.

"I get mine (inspiration) from the things around me," she said. "It's usually a play of light on objects that gets me excited." She said South Carolina is the perfect location for artists -- "We have everything. We have mountains, we have the ocean," Fogle said. "You never know what will inspire me from day to day."

Self-proclaimed abstract expressionist Zisholtz rounds out the new artists presenting at "Diverse Art." Currently director of the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium at SCSU and an assistant professor in museum studies and the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, Zisholtz said everyone has a creative voice.

"I think art is the one thing that will unite people worldwide and can make a difference," she said. "Artists have always been the conscious of the world. We don't have any boundaries or differences when we're creating art."

Zisholtz has an extensive background the arts, having worked with Creative Roots, a community arts project in Beaufort that uses multi-arts with middle and high school students to confront racism in the community, and the Penn Center Gullah Studies Institute in St. Helena Island, where she was the consultant for creating the program. Additionally, she has written strategic plans for developing and restoring cultural facilities and districts, worked at theaters, served on the faculties of Rutgers and New York universities and taught in the New York City public schools. She also has international experience working with the arts. This is Zisholtz's first public exhibit in Orangeburg.

"I think are is extremely important as a interpreter of society, an agent for change and a preserver for history, ideas and society," she said.

Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center is open Mondays through Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 803-536-4074.

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T&D Features Editor Wendy Jeffcoat Crider can be reached by e-mail at wjeffcoat@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5546. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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