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2026 Artist in Residence
March 25 - May 15

New York Showroom

2026 Artist in Residence
March 25 - May 15

New York Showroom

Blackwell Botanicals

Richmond, Virginia based artist and plantswoman Anne Blackwell Thompson creates beautiful, artistic compositions through the preservation of foliage and flowers using centuries-old techniques. Her work is a reflection of her love of the natural world, combined with significant training in botany, studio art, art history, and a treasured apprenticeship with world-renowned botanical artist Stuart Thornton in Turin, Italy. Anne frequently works with interior designers, landscape architects, private collectors and hoteliers to produce one-of-a-kind botanical specimens reflective of a project's aesthetic, scale, and composition objectives.

See more on her process below.

Shown right: Virginia Bench with Bonnyrigg Back, finished in Montebello Green with La Dolce Vita Chiffchaff Fabric and Piume Oystercatcher Welt

Foraging

Over the past 18 months, Anne has harvested plant material from along the East Coast—including Ladew Topiary Gardens in Maryland, Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina, and our own Virginia landscape—to create a 26 piece exhibit centered on ferns, grasses, and aquatic plants. These verdant tones echo the signature hues of the McKinnon and Harris color palette.

Foraging

Over the past 18 months, Anne has harvested plant material from along the East Coast—including Ladew Topiary Gardens in Maryland, Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina, and our own Virginia landscape—to create a 26 piece exhibit centered on ferns, grasses, and aquatic plants. These verdant tones echo the signature hues of the McKinnon and Harris color palette.

Dissecting

Using scalpels, Anne takes apart the entire plant. Each specimen requires a different technique, which is where her years of experience studying horticulture comes handy. “It’s very tactile,” she says.

Dissecting

Using scalpels, Anne takes apart the entire plant. Each specimen requires a different technique, which is where her years of experience studying horticulture comes handy. “It’s very tactile,” she says.

Pressing

With presses varying in size from a six seater dining table to an 8 ½ by 11 frame, Anne works on her dissections for 4-6 months, regularly changing out blotting paper to absorb moisture. This part of the process, she jokes, “is like changing a baby’s diaper.”

Pressing

With presses varying in size from a six seater dining table to an 8 ½ by 11 frame, Anne works on her dissections for 4-6 months, regularly changing out blotting paper to absorb moisture. This part of the process, she jokes, “is like changing a baby’s diaper.”

Framing

Like a puzzle, Anne puts her foraged botanicals back together, using her artistic license to create compositions. As with her woody plants, she must hand-sew stems onto her canvases.

Anne’s residency will culminate in the installation of 26 original works in our New York Showroom, each carefully framed to preserve their beauty.

Framing

Like a puzzle, Anne puts her foraged botanicals back together, using her artistic license to create compositions. As with her woody plants, she must hand-sew stems onto her canvases.

Anne’s residency will culminate in the installation of 26 original works in our New York Showroom, each carefully framed to preserve their beauty.

Exclusively at Our New York Showroom

March 25 - May 15, 2026
Monday - Friday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Contact the New York Showroom to schedule a private showing.

D&D Building
222 East 59th Street
Suite 111, Annex Ground Floor
New York, NY 10022

P: 212.371.8260
[email protected]

Interior Design by Lizzie Cox Interiors
Photo by Laurey Glenn

Exclusively at Our New York Showroom

March 25 - May 15, 2026
Monday - Friday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Contact the New York Showroom to schedule a private showing.

D&D Building
222 East 59th Street
Suite 111, Annex Ground Floor
New York, NY 10022

P: 212.371.8260
[email protected]

Interior Design by Lizzie Cox Interiors
Photo by Laurey Glenn

Our Artist In Residence Program

At the highest level, our purpose is to elevate and inspire through art and design. Newly established in 2026, the McKinnon and Harris Artist in Residence Program allows us to celebrate art’s unique ability to uplift, supporting the excellence of artist communities within and outside of our walls.

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