Statement
"No matter where Deb goes she will be successful. She has the magic touch of creativity. Teaching is a natural skill Deb has always possessed; she has a lifetime of being a designer, illustrator and creative directing to share with the next generation of visual journalist."
-- Susan Mango Curtis, Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism
Cheese + Pickles Studio is my new community art studio in Pembrokeshire, Wales. A place of transition from a demanding career in visual journalism, to something, well, a bit different for me. Cheese + Pickles is both an open education studio, and the studio where I work designing, illustrating, and creating prints and reliefs using natural materials found in West Wales. The Welsh fairy tale landscape is a constant source of inspiration and the desire to incorporate it in my work is exciting. In addition, I'm returning to an old love of mine, the Japanese art of Gyotaku printing, which celebrates nature's gifts from the sea. You can see the results of this lovely monoprinting method under the Gyotaku tab.
Gyotaku. Having spent most of my life working as a visual journalist, covering, designing, and illustrating the news, I need to step away from the computer when I can and create with my hands. As well, returning to Pembrokeshire to live and work has rekindled my love of interpreting and recording what's natural and particular to my special spots on Earth.
I print in the Gyotaku method, "gyo" meaning fish, and "taku" meaning rubbing -- a form of Japanese printing dating from the mid-1800s. Like most Asian art traditions it is rooted in a respect for the natural form and is a beautiful way of self-expressing to achieve a closeness with nature, art, and life. I work in two methods to achieve opposite results in my printing; a soft and ethereal print using wet paper, and a graphic and textural print using dry paper. Monoprinting is a particularly stimulating method of creating art, and Gyotaku is no different, as the artist can conceive, plan and direct the desired result but the outcome is always unpredictable and surprising. That's the thrill!
Each print leads to new avenues of exploration and discovery and is absolutely unique, directed by the pressure of your hands upon the fish's shape, the tooth of the paper, the fluidity of the ink, and the character of the fish itself. Much like the excitement of art directing in a newsroom on a busy day!
Biography
“Creativity, if it has any meaningful boundary, lies within the moment when potential begins to emerge into reality -- John Knapp-Fisher, Welsh painter
Deborah Withey 2009 to present Community artist, illustrator, designer, printmaker and visual journalist (not in any particular order, it’s all fun!). Teaching is a great love of Deborah’s, and she hopes that through her current workshops in Welsh schools and with adult learners, she inspires her students to discover the power of their own creativity.
Everyone is creative, but it takes confidence to identify creativity in oneself, and some never find their way. Students may not find “their way” in my classes, but I’ve succeeded if they’ve taken the first steps of their journey.
June 2004-2009 Deputy managing editor for presentation and joint venture publications, The Virginian-Pilot, an American newspaper with an international reputation for excellence in conceptual presentation, photojournalism, and narrative journalism. Deborah was recruited “to take a great paper and make it better” through her leadership of the design, multimedia, photography and joint venture departments. "I loved the daily challenge of capturing the spirit of Hampton Roads on our pages." Aa a manager, Deb enjoyed setting the creative bar very high and enabling her staff to do the very best for readers and for themselves. She and her teams were charged with creating alternative ways to present information in all mediums, LINK, a free daily; the Pilot Planner, a revenue and reader-winning calendar feature; “Greetings from the Troops”, a section of letters and photos from active military to their families back home, and a multimedia photojournalism project on Iraq veterans, were four of their winning efforts. in 2007, Deb conceived and led the award-winning redesign of The Pilot.
1995-2004 Design consultant to Knight Ridder Newspapers, leading redesign, design recruitment and visual journalism efforts for most of KR’s 36 newspapers. Four newspapers redesigned for KR by Deb were chosen as “The World’s Best” by the Society of News Design. A fifth newspaper redesigned as a freelance project, El Universal, Caracas, Venezuela, was also awarded the same. During her tenure, Deb established both a successful visual journalism intern program and a mentor program for KR’s most-promising designers.
1987-1995 Design director, Detroit Free Press, responsible for the presentation of the metro daily
1985-1987 Staff illustrator, later, assistant art director, the Dallas Times Herald
Nice things Throughout her journalism career, Deb has won gold, silver, and awards of excellence for her art direction, design and illustration work from the Society of News Design, American Illustration, Society of Illustrators, Print, and the Art Director’s Club of New York, NY, as well as recognition for work from many American press organizations.
1987 Multicultural Management Fellowship, University of Missouri
1999 Awarded the Majeri Award for Innovation and Leadership in Graphic Journalism, Ball State University.
1995 Presstime Magazine’s “20 Best under 40” innovators.
2009 Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, United States Department of the Army for cut paper illustrations created for the book “Children of Valor”, published by Arlington National Cemetery.
2010 Gyotaku (japanese fish printmaking) work accepted into ART AT “Wales’ Best Contemporary Art Exhibition”, Rhosygilwen Mansion, Wales.
2011 Creative writing commended, writing competition, Leaf Publications, UK
Lecturing 1995, Visiting professional, University of Navarra, School of Journalism, Pamplona, Spain, teaching conceptual illustration and design; visiting scholar, Ball State University; University of Missouri; Syracuse University (her alma mater) and Michigan State.
Welsh work Tutor and creative workshop leader, Learning Pembrokeshire; Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and Small World Theatre. Director of Arts + Crafts for Pembrokeshire Tourism; Artist advisory chair, Cauldrons + Furnaces, Legacy Trust project for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
Personal creative expression Developing a series of Welsh alphabet panels in relief, using stones and found objects to be exhibited 15 March 2011, St. Davids Cathedral Cloister Gallery. Deb is represented by St. Davids Studio Gallery and invites you to view her work on this site and at stdavidsstudiogallery.co.uk.
Deborah is the proud mother of a son, Tam David, age 10. If you’ve just read to the end of this CV... thank you! Now, please accept my invitation to visit cheese and pickles studio on Facebook!
