Georgia State Flower, Cherokee Rose by Abigail West - 500 piece jigsaw puzzle
Abigail West is a printmaker and trail & ultrarunner in Athens, Georgia. She makes linoleum block prints inspired by adventures in the woods and the deep human connection to nature and desire to protect it. Sustainability runs deep through her art practice and professional background. West attests, “Running for miles and miles through the woods cracks your heart open and lets light in” then asks, “Have you ever spent all day out in the woods? Have you watched a sunrise, summited a mountaintop, closed your eyes and listened to the wind in the trees?” Abigail West creates work about that openhearted feeling, that connection to place and nature.
The Cherokee Rose - a climbing, evergreen shrub with white, fragrant roses - was selected as Georgia’s state floral emblem in 1916, as a nod to the removal of the native Cherokees in 1838. It was said to have grown along the path of the Trail of Tears, which began in Georgia and led to Oklahoma (where Abigail West grew up). In “Georgia State Flower, Cherokee Rose” (2023, linocut block print on reclaimed atlas map, 9x12 inches) West presents two linocut prints, the white layer and then the black layer, on top of a scavenged map of Georgia rail lines (not interstates, a nod to its age!). Like a trail runner, the Cherokee Rose scrambles over and through shrubs and small trees in nature as well as the State of Georgia and its history.
Abigail and her husband, fellow artist Michael Ross, are rebuilding a 110+ year old house where they have their studios and live with their trail dog Cider. West first began making art as a little kid. After learning how to make prints in high school, thanks to a series of great art teachers, she went on to graduate with a BFA from the University of Georgia in Printmaking & Book Arts. As a runner, Abigail competes as part of the rabbitELITE trail team, and passionately represents the Southeast.
• 500 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
• Finished Puzzle Size: 19.25 x 26.625 inches
• Quality ESKA blueboard backing
• Matte Finish to reduce glare
• Recommended Age: 13+ Years