Pikkujämsä illustrates Posti´s Valentine Day stamps

National postal and logistic services operator Posti will release three new stamp publications on Wednesday with a total of 14 different domestic no-value indicator stamps.

The designs of the stamps feature Valentine’s Day, the baby box and pastimes on freezing cold Finnish winter days, said an official press release.

Stamp Year 2019 kicks off with Valentine’s Day stamps, which have been illustrated by Matti Pikkujämsä in his own distinctive style.

This sympathetic booklet of stamps has a strong craftwork feel. Pikkujämsä, who is starting his career as a stamp artist, painted the original paintings on paper, wrote the texts by hand and did the perforation freehand.

“When I was creating the stamps, I thought about a dear friend of mine in the north. Doing things together with friends was the starting point for these stamps. I try to make simple paintings that touch people and warm their hearts,” said Pikkujämsä.

The baby box is an innovation that is familiar to all Finnish families. The Baby Box miniature sheet, designed by Dog Design, presents the clothes and care supplies in the box and the box itself, in which a baby can also sleep.

“We illustrated the baby box products on the miniature sheet as a pattern-like surface that is bordered into ensembles by stamps. And a baby is naturally also included,” said AD Petri Salmela from Dog Design.

The Freezing Winter Day stamps feature typical Finnish winter day activities, such as ice fishing and taking a dip in a hole in the ice.

“In the picture of the first stamp, a father and daughter are spending a sunny day ice fishing. The second stamp features an ice swimmer taking a dip in a hole in the ice. You can see how freezing the water is on the face of the swimmer,” said the designer of the stamps AD Paula Salviander.

The ice fishing photo in the stamp portrays her own family and was taken by Jaana Vetikko, who is also the spokesperson for the Finnish Federation for Recreational Fishing. The photo of the swimmer taking a dip in a hole in the ice comes from the Can Stock Photo.

The first day event will be organized at the Helsinki Main Post Office (Elielinaukio 2) on Wednesday from 12 noon to 3 p.m. New stamps, first day covers and other stamp products will be on sale at the event, and visitors can get first day postmarks on their items.

Artists Matti Pikkujämsä and Paula Salviander and Dog Design will be present to sign their works from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.