Cornish Artist’s Illustrations Featured on Royal Mail Christmas Stamps

The Royal Mail’s Christmas stamp collection features illustrations by Cornish artist Judy Joel. Her designs depict festive scenes of UK cathedrals located in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Armagh, Bangor, and Westminster. Mrs. Joel, who operates an art gallery in Penzance, received notification last year that her designs had been selected for the stamps. She stated, “When I was told Royal Mail had chosen my designs in my naive style for this Christmas, it was a heart-stopping moment and I was and am still immensely proud and honoured.” Mrs. Joel’s artwork has been sold internationally, and she is recognized for consistently incorporating her white-haired mother and a dog into each of her paintings. She recounted, “The phone call inviting me to submit sketches of two cathedrals for possible acceptance by Royal Mail to have my designs used for the Christmas 2024 stamps, came on a hot day in early summer 2023.” She added, “At first, I wondered if it was a cold call but soon realised it was genuine and I was immediately thrilled and very excited and got to work immediately.” The collection was launched by Royal Mail on Monday. The organization explained that cathedrals were selected for the stamps because they are “wonderful and welcoming places to visit at Christmas.” David Gold, Royal Mail’s director of external affairs and policy, commented: “Cathedrals are a hugely significant part of our cultural heritage and play an important role in local communities. “They also offer space for peaceful reflection and a bit of an escape from the challenges of daily life, which can be especially important at Christmas. “Judy’s beautiful illustrations really capture the joy of these iconic buildings. “We hope they bring a little added joy to millions of people around the world in the weeks leading up to Christmas”.”