A few of the 25 hand printed limited edition Flame Azalea posters signed by artist, Anna Rose Garrett are still available. The prints are 11 x 17 and suitable for a 13 x 19 frame and mat. Each print is $70 plus shipping. Locals may purchase their print at the Welcome Center to avoid shipping charges.
We are thrilled to introduce you to Anna Rose Garrett of the Good Seed Craft Co who recently completed the 2025 Flame Azalea Poster commission. Anna is a local based linoleum print artist working out of her home based studio in Andrews, NC.
Our goal in working with Anna was to end up with a completed design that communicates the details of the 2025 Flame Azalea Festival clearly, 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!
If you are unfamiliar, linoleum printing is a very time 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 really no going back — which is why we spent so much time with Anna in the sketch and design phase of the project.
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.”
We first became aware of the beauty of Anna’s work through her hand printed products at Rare Bird Emporium, the latest album cover for Jacob Goins (who performed at last year’s Flame Azalea Festival), and a recent logo project for a local women’s ministry, Garden 58. We wanted to see the beauty of our Hooper Bald azaleas translated through Anna’s hands.
As you can see the process of making this poster included a lot of detailed carving! While in some ways linoleum printing can be a rigid and unforgiving medium, the process of carving itself can be fluid and transparently expresses the unique hand of the artist.
This year’s poster commission encouraged Anna to grow and stretch her style and work by incorporating a second color through a somewhat experimental technique. The off-set orange in this year’s design is a monoprinting process that utilizes a stencil laid over a hand rolled gel plate. This means that each print is it’s own variation and no two posters in the series will be just alike. Once this layer of ink has dried, then the linoleum print (a deep hemlock green) is made directly on top of the gel print.
Watch the video below on the right to see the entire process in action.
If owning your very own print is not enough and you would like to try your hand at the print making processes behind this year’s poster we have good news! You may take a class with Anna at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center on May 31st and explore this process under her guided expertise!
