Bob Timberlake (born January 22, 1937) is an American realist artist primarily known for his watercolor paintings as well as for designing and licensing lines of home furnishings, clothing and various other products. He began his career as an artist in 1970 and began his home furnishings line in 1990.[1] He founded Linwood Furniture, LLC in 2006.[2] In the fall of 2004, the Manor House Estate House at the Chetola Resort at Blowing Rock was renamed the Bob Timberlake Inn at Chetola Resort.[3] His primary studio was created from a historic barn built in 1809 and moved to its current location in 1986.[4]
Bob Timberlake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 22, 1937 |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Watercolor, home furnishings |
| Movement | Realist painter |
| Spouse | Kay Timberlake |
| Website | www |
Background
editBorn in Salisbury, North Carolina, on January 22, 1937, and raised in Lexington, North Carolina,[1][5] Timberlake always enjoyed painting, although he didn't begin his professional career until 1970, when he was 33 years old.[6] He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Relations in 1959 from the University of North Carolina. He married in 1957 and has three children and seven grandchildren.[7]
Bob Timberlake wrote his autobiography Partial to Home - A Memoir of the Heart, with fellow North Carolinian Jerry Bledsoe in 1999.[8] In it he reveals that he was a self-taught artist influenced and mentored by Andrew Wyeth. Timberlake came home one night when he was 28, and upon reading an article and viewing photographs of Wyeth's work in Life magazine, was "moved to tears" and was convinced that he too was destined to become a painter. He began his career shortly thereafter.[8]
Furnishings
edit
Timberlake first designed and made a dresser when he was 14 and 15 which took him 350 hours to complete. Ford Motor Company selected Timberlake's work as "representative of youth in the 1950s".[9]
Timberlake partnered with Lexington Furniture (later renamed to Lexington Home Brands) to create The World of Bob Timberlake, which became the best-selling furniture collection in industry history.[10] The Bob Timberlake brand includes a range of furniture styles, including Eighteenth century, Arts and Crafts, and English and Irish cottage.[citation needed]
Postage stamps
editTimberlake has designed four different postage stamps for the United States Postal Service, including a 15 cent stamp titled Wreath and Toys issued on Oct. 31, 1980, which was based on antique toys in artist Bob Timberlake’s collection. (Scott catalogue number 1843),[11] as well as the 1988 North Carolina Statehood stamp, and 1989 South Carolina Statehood stamp.[6]
Galleries
editThere is a Timberlake gallery at 1714 East Center Street Extension in Lexington, North Carolina. The gallery offers original and signed lithographed artwork by Timberlake, as well as home furnishings and other items created or designed by him and licensed by various manufacturers.[7][third-party source needed]
Exhibitions
editHis first art exhibition was a sold-out show in May 1970 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.[1]
In 1973, he held the first of seven one-person exhibits at Hammer Galleries in New York City. The first show was sold out before it opened, the first time this had ever happened for this well established gallery.[citation needed]
Along with Norman Rockwell, he exhibited at the Artists of America show in 1974, at the Franklin Center in Philadelphia and in New Jersey.[citation needed]
In 1998, Timberlake painted "White House Christmas" for the exhibition "White House Impressions: The President's House Through the Eye of the Artist." He was one of only 14 artists chosen to depict the White House for the exhibition sponsored by the White House Historical Association. It has been exhibited in the White House and in several presidential libraries.[12]
In 2007, in celebration of his 70th birthday, the Bob Timberlake Gallery featured an exhibit of 70 pieces spanning his career.[5]
Awards and honors
edit
- 1978 - He was recognized by then President Jimmy Carter for his work with Keep America Beautiful.[citation needed] Three years earlier, he had been named The Official Artist of Keep America Beautiful, lnc. and the official spokesperson for Keep America Beautiful.
- 1978 – He received the North Carolina Public Service Award.
- 1979 – He received an Honorary Degree for Doctor of Humanities Honoris Causa from High Point University.
- 1981 – Was officially recognized by then current President Ronald Reagan, along with Iron Eyes Cody and the Keep America Beautiful organization during an Oval Office ceremony.
- 1987 – Honored by the North Carolina Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center for his humanitarian service, which have so far raised over $7.3 million (as of 2009) by the sale of his donated artwork.
- 1989 – Received the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism for Artistry.[13]
- 1989 – Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center awarded him the Shingleton Award for his support.
- 1995 – Was given a distinguished alumni award from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- 1998 – Was honored as the North Carolina Press Association’s North Carolinian of the Year in Pinehurst, NC.
- 2002 – Received an Honorary Doctor of Humanities from Methodist College, Fayetteville, NC
- 2006 – Awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine,[14] North Carolina’s highest civilian honor.
References
edit- ^ a b c Morris, Ashley (December 2004 – January 2005). "BOB TIMBERLAKE delving into his corner of the world". GS Magazine. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2011. reprinted at www.AshleyMorris.net
- ^ New York Times - Business Day
- ^ "Chetola Resort History". Archived from the original on 2012-01-14. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
- ^ Our State - Bob Timberlake’s Lexington Landscape
- ^ a b Apple, Charity (14 June 2007). "Celebrate '70' with Bob Timberlake". Burlington Times-News. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
- ^ a b Mason, Sharon (May–June 2009). "A North Carolina Original: Bob Timberlake" (PDF). Cabarrus Living Magazine. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
- ^ a b "BobTimberlake.com - About Bob". Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2011-11-17.
- ^ a b Timberlake, Bob; Bledsoe, Jerry (1999). Partial to Home: A Memoir of the Heart. John F Blair Pub. ISBN 978-1-878086-81-5.
- ^ Craver, Richard. "At 75, Timberlake still full of designs Archived 2013-01-27 at archive.today". Winston-Salem Journal, January 22, 2012. p. A8.
- ^ Craver, Richard (12 December 2010). "Designer will end ties with company". Winston-Salem Journal. Archived from the original on 2013-01-27. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
- ^ USPS Christmas Holiday Stamps Archived January 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Knopfler, Vicki (1 February 2007). "Clinton Library exhibit gets Tarheel touch". High Point Enterprise.
- ^ Ben Steelman, Star News Sunday, March 5, 1989
- ^ Beckwith, Ryan Teague (26 June 2007). "What is the Order of the Long Leaf Pine?". Raleigh News & Observer. Archived from the original on 2011-10-29. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
External links
edit- Official website
- Biographical Conversations with Bob Timberlake UNC-TV article with one hour video