Page 4 • Saturday, July 8, 2023 • The Leader
Art Valet: Artists change focus this summer MITCH COHEN Art Columnist
This summer I noticed artists posting on Instagram about their art projects and travels. These would make great essays with that famous topic, “What I did on my summer vacation!” Robin Whalan is a printmaker. The printmaking steps sound easy written out because basically Whalan draws her design, carves it out of linoleum and then handprints them. Viola! I left out the blood, sweat, aches and pains. In my interview (AV in The Leader March 18, 2023) we learned that Whalan had only started this creative journey out of boredom in 2020. She used what she had on hand at the time which in her case was the floor, to carve her masterpieces. This summer Whalan moved into a new art studio to work and now teach out of. A huge step for an artist. She also got a new artist table to work from that will certainly be a tremendous leap forward. The only downside is the beloved wooden spoon Whalan used in the printmaking process vanished in the move. The spoon was featured prominently in many of her Instagram posts. Perhaps with so many changes moving forward, the spoon will remain a symbol of Whalen’s artistic journey. For class info and upcoming events: https://www. boredhumanhtx.com/ Photographer Tim Herschbach chronicled his working trip to Washington State’s Hoh Rainforest inside Olympic National Park. AV: Tell me about your trip. Tim Herschbach: “I had a great trip to Washington State. As always, it wasn’t perfect and I had to compromise based on getting there and seeing what I had to work with, not to mention the weather which was constantly changing. I’m also working with a new medium format camera system so that was a bit nerve tracking not really knowing what I had until I got home. Fortunately those worries had little merit.” “Overall, it was a successful photography trip. I worked hard and came home with some solid compositions that I’m excited to start releasing soon.” AV: Is there a big difference in medium format cameras vs something you might use normally? TH: “That’s the exact same question I had going into this trip. I’ve put some time in on this system the past few months shooting at my church, but this was my first real landscape experience with it, and while I expected higher quality images over my full frame DSLR, I was also concerned about the narrower depth of field found with a larger sensor. I was also concerned about the size and weight if the system being harder I lug around in my hikes.” AV: I’m glad it worked out, and it didn’t cause too much undue stress via exercise! TH: “The extra weight was certainly an issue, but the narrower depth of field wasn’t nearly as much an issue as I thought it would be,” Herschbach said. “I wasn’t able to assess this until I got home and looked at the images in full size, so not knowing was a real source of anxiety.”
Contributed photo
Tim Herschbach’s office earlier this summer.
Herschbach is planning to have a home gallery show debuting the photographs from this trip on late summer in Manvel. An RSVP event. Follow him on for details, https://www.herschbachphotography.com/ Tiffany Angel Nesbit (AV in The Leader May 2021) is known for her pottery, though I’m waiting impatiently for her to reveal her 2D art on the world. One day perhaps. Meanwhile I noticed this summer her trademarked fish and poultry designs (my favs!) on her hand-built pottery were suddenly frogs, locusts and … they were the ten plagues set on Egypt! In an email, Nesbit explained her latest project. “My practice has given me a concrete backbone in moral beliefs and has greatly deepened my relationship with God,” Nesbit wrote. “I crave a deeper understanding of biblical stories that have been passed down through millennia and countless generations and are still relevant today. I aim to preserve these parables through ceramics, so that wisdom can continue to be passed down to my children, and to theirs.” “The project will include depictions of the 10 plagues of the book of Exodus from the Old Testament, when God sent Moses to pharaoh and demanded to let the enslaved Israelites free,” Nesbit said. “Each vessel will depict one of the 10 plagues, carved onto the surface of the raw clay. “The vessels are formed based on 18th dynasty Egyptian pottery, the era that the Book of Exodus is thought to have taken place.” “This is certainly a work in progress and I’m excited to let it evolve further into a new direction,” Nesbit said. “Prior to this, my practice has been focused on the spirits of animals of the land, and how they interact with the earth. Now, I’m making work about the spirits of our human ancestors, and the importance of their tribulations to fight for freedom throughout time.” https://www.tiffanyangelnesbit.com Each of the artists Instagram handles are linked on their websites. Cohen is an artist and founder of the First Saturday Arts Market and The Market at Sawyer Yards. Find him at https://ArtValet.com for additional highlights and artist’s stories.
Contributed photo
Robin Whalan with her new art table.
Contributed photo
Tiffany Angel Nesbit holds one of her 10 plagues pots.
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