Linoleum print artist, Anna Rose Garrett, recently was commissioned to design the 2025 Flame Azalea Festival poster. The poster depicts the diverse flora and fauna of Hooper Bald adjacent to the Cherohala Skyway, home to a rare stand of native flame azaleas
“This piece had so many firsts for me – my first time carving out such extensive text, first time carving a landscape and first time combining gelli plate and lino printing but I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out,” shared Anna.
Anna set her design within the framework of a quilt. From the hay scented fern to the chanterelle or even the water strider, each element is given its own patch in the composition. Together they illustrate a sense of place – and even season – within the Nantahala National Forest. She had many conversations with the staff at the Graham County Travel and Tourism Authority as well as her husband, Graham, who is a conservationist with Mainspring Conservation Trust during the sketching phase of the project.
“Our goal in working with Anna was to end up with a completed design that clearly communicates the details of the 2025 Flame Azalea Festival, represents the character of Hooper Bald, displays both the beauty and culture of our region, and honors the style and aesthetic of the artist. We could not be more thrilled with the result!” commented assistant director Amber Benton.
Linoleum printing is a very time-intensive and labor-intensive process. It requires that the artist be able to translate form, value, pattern, and detail into either a positive or a negative shape. It is not a forgiving medium as once the block is carved there is no going back – which is why Garrett spends so much time in the sketching and design phase of commissions.
But Anna, who is also a stay-at-home mom of two young children, is clearly in love with this medium.
“I find myself captivated by the complexity of simplifying what I see into the confinements of the craft.” Anna says of those hours spent carving, “I use linoleum printing to practice discipline, to quiet my busy thoughts, to focus on simplicity, and to synthesize the beauty I see into blocks of light and dark.”
She recently wrapped up two other projects – an album cover for Jacob Goins latest release, A Spring May Well Up, and a logo for a local women’s ministry, Garden 58. The album cover was a special project for Anna as Goins gave her great latitude to visually interpret his compositions which were inspired by local places like the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, Tuni Gap, and Fires Creek. Anna visited Fires Creek often while working on the piece and the resulting artwork is very much an illustrated creation story set within an Appalachian landscape.
Anna also teaches and has her hand printed products at several shops in Western North Carolina. Print workshops are hosted both at Olive’s Porch and the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center while her work can be purchased at Bent Willow in Franklin, Noon in Sylva, Rare Bird Emporium in Murphy, and Morning Fog Coffee in Andrews.
Anna is releasing a limited edition of 25 hand printed 2025 Flame Azalea Festival posters which are available for presale. Each print is 11×17 and will be numbered and signed by the artist. For more information, please visit the Graham County Travel website or call 828-479-3790. She will be a guest artist at this year’s Flame Azalea Festival on Saturday, June 14th at 301 Sweetwater Rd in Robbinsville.
PHOTO CREDITS: Poster/Portraits – Katlyn Wyble & Carving/Progress: Anna Rose Garrett]
marcroy@peopleofprint.com
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