ILLUSTRATIONS of the nativity by the artist Paula Doherty feature on this 12 months’s Christmas stamps released by Royal Mail on Tuesday.
The five designs are the Virgin and Child (1st class), Mary and Joseph (2nd class, large letter), shepherds (1st class, large letter), an angel (2nd class), and the Wise Men (£3.40).
A press release says: “The illustrations for this 12 months’s Christmas stamps have fun the fantastic thing about surface and texture. The designs evoke the richness of inlaid marble, enamelling, marquetry, and collage — each suggesting a tactile, crafted quality. These techniques share a typical thread: assemblage.
“Through various fragments brought together in harmony, Paula’s work offers a fresh and vibrant interpretation of the Nativity story.”
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The director of external affairs and policy of Royal Mail, David Gold, said: “For many individuals, once the Christmas stamps go on sale, the seasonal preparations can begin. There’s something truly magical about this time of 12 months, and these stamps capture that spirit perfectly. We are very grateful to Paula Doherty for these beautiful illustrations, which set the proper tone for the festive season.”
Ms Doherty said: “I’m so delighted that my designs will finally be out in print, and feel excited and barely overwhelmed to think that they shall be on envelopes flying all all over the world this Christmas.
“The hardest a part of the entire process was keeping my involvement under wraps, as the disclosing of the Christmas stamps is an element of the magic; so I couldn’t tell anyone until their release. It was a protracted time to maintain a secret.”
