— courtesy of Granville County and the Granville County Library System from R F Timberlake

Granville Native to Show & Share Art Exhibit on Display at Richard H. Thornton Branch

If you ask North Carolina artist R F Timberlake, as he says Frank to family and friends, how he got into producing fine digital art prints, he’ll tell you this yarn, “My fourth-grade teacher at Stovall, the very famous Katherine Royster told me that if I didn’t focus on business that I’d end up making license plates! Recently, after producing the print, Red Boats of Beaufort, I made my wife a custom license plate featuring that print. It hit me, Mrs. Royster was right. I am blessed to have had enough business to create and support my love art and to create PhoArt® for me and others to enjoy.”

You can visit the Richard H. Thornton Library branch of the Granville County Library System from November 15, 2017 until January 15, 2018 to see over 30 colorful prints from various locales including a few special Granville County and Kerr Lake prints. Several of the prints will be shown publicly for the first time at the Oxford library. “We are extremely pleased to offer Mr. Timberlake’s innovative approach to visual art that captures things and places that are special to him in a classical sort of way,” said Carly Cox, Adult Services Librarian. “We’re thrilled to hold a “Meet the Artist” reception a few days after the exhibit opens on Sunday, November 19th from 2:00-4:00 PM here at the Thornton branch, and we invite our library patrons and the public to come see this art and talk the artist.”

“Mr. Timberlake and his Shutter Art Gallery will give away a yet, unnamed print, from the Down East – Outer Banks Collection. Visitors who come to the reception and properly register with us will be eligible to win the print which we will draw for at the conclusion of the reception,” added Cox. The signed and numbered print will be on display at the reception.

Timberlake and his gallery will also donate 20% of any prints sold during the Granville library exhibit that can be attributed by local address or if people call or email including GRANVILLE LIBRARY.

Born in Oxford, Timberlake was raised in Stovall and Grassy Creek. He’s a familiar face in the area visiting and being a frequent camping visitor. He is a cofounder of the 550+ member Kerr Lake support group, Kerr Lake Park Watch. Timberlake is a former news broadcaster and broadcast owner and is president of the award-winning advertising & PR firm, R F Timberlake & Company, Inc., that he and wife Linda founded 27 years ago. Their home, office and studio are in eastern Wake County. They have four sons, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“I didn’t like my painting. I wanted realism and I got impressionistic,” says Timberlake. “So, I worked, studied, got tutoring to improve my photography and then I incorporated digital technology to create PhoArt® which is simply making a photograph appear that it is painted and it’s a lot more detailed than people might think. My wife and business partner of 41 years, Linda, said that I should show and share my art. I did as she said and wham, it took off!” The artist adds that producing digital fine art allows him to take on more projects in a variety of locations.

“We’ve limited 200 issues of any print, and that adds a touch of exclusivity,” says the artist. Although he offers prints on fine linen, smooth and textured papers, unframed, Timberlake’s chosen presentation is “gallery wrapped” meaning the canvas is stretched around a wooden frame, backed and prepped for hanging. Those prints have museum backing and four coats of museum, archival art lacquer to prevent UV damage and fading. Another very unique point, for example, is that three people can purchase consecutively numbered prints and all three can be assorted sizes, a somewhat unique offering, even though the three prints are signed and numbered. All of the prints on display at the Thornton branch will be “gallery wrapped.”

“I have art in museums and some locations in Virginia, but it means the world to me to be able to come home to Granville County and to present my art to so many friends, both old and new! We’re even going to have a few prints for people to see and to promote the exhibit in the beautiful new Stovall library branch, added Timberlake.

The R F Timberlake PhoArt® exhibit can be seen during regular library hours through January 15, 2018.

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