Stamped By Romance

Souvenir Sheet, Great Illustrators, $4.25

I was delighted to hear that artist Will Davies has been honored by Canada with a postage stamp.

Mr. Davies, one of five artists honored, was an illustrator who created more than 500 covers for Harlequin, originally a Toronto-based company.

Back in the day, cover art was created from original drawings or paintings which were then photographed. Each book cover featured distinctive and original art work.

Of course, his body of work included magazines, fashion layouts, and much more, but he's known more for his book cover art, especially by romance authors and collectors.

His cover art was so highly prized that authors would request he do their covers. The resulting cover, each unique and specific to the book, was one of the factors in the growth and popularity of romance novels and helped build the global brand that is now Harlequin.

Takeaway Truth

You can order the stamps online. The series is known collectively as Great Canadian Illustrators. You can even get a set on eBay, or have a Canadian friend mail you one.