Who Is Bob Timberlake Anyway?

While living in Winston-Salem, NC, back in 1973, Bob Timberlake, North Carolina artist was quite the successful artist of the area. While showing at a small art show in High Point, NC, someone said to Hermon, "I can do that." Hermon thought to himself, "but you're not." The only thing standing in Hermon's way of becoming a successful artist, was just doing it. That is what Bob Timberlake was doing; he was painting. His work was mostly of the Americana genre, which was quite popular at the time. He had been a great fan of Andrew Wyeth and was fortunate enough to have encouragement from his favorite artist. Mr. Timberlake's work was accepted in well-known galleries in New York and in Washington, D.C., where he had sold-out shows and an instant following.
Hermon did not have that kind of luck, but he had a passion, a talent, a determination, and an imagination that would take hold and drive him to overcome all obstacles before him in pursuit of his dream of becoming a famous artist. His parents were supportive and encouraged Hermon, but were not convinced that one could make a living as an artist, except within the boundaries of commercial art. Hermon gives credit to only one teacher for actually teaching him something in art, and that was Mr. Walsh at Hinds County Junior (Community) College in Hermon's hometown of Raymond, MS. At Southern Mississippi, his professors told him that he could not draw! The only artwork Hermon ever witnessed that they did was painting a canvas black or white and putting a red bow on it, or doing a sculptured table of nothing but boobs! Could they draw? Hmm-m-m-m! I will let you be the judge of that!
In spite of all those things, Hermon decided he had to become a full-time professional artist. He would make it work! He spent a great deal of time on each painting, creating a very nice collection of thirteen paintings for his first show in Asheville, NC. I can only remember a few of those; one was a blacksmith shop, inspired by his hometown blacksmith. The painting called "Cathy's Cat," had won a ribbon at the small show in High Point; one was a mill and stream, overgrown with folliage; and "The Bishop's Chair," a scene from the Episcopal church, where his parents were married.
As it turned out, "Cathy's Cat" was the first to sell, then Albritton's Blacksmith Shop. We kept the mill stream. Hermon's mother could not let "The Bishop's Chair" leave Raymond. We could not afford to give it to her, so she bought it and hung in her library until 2001, when she passed away and left it to Hermon. It has a prominent place in our home, where we enjoy it every day.