Huntington Man Designs Postage Stamp

A Huntington artist has put his mark on the U.S. Postal Service, designing a holiday stamp for the holiday season.

William Low's poinsettia design had its first-day issue on Oct. 10. 

“Getting a commission to design a stamp from the U.S. Postal Service is an outstanding achievement for any artist and I was lucky to paint five designs” he recently wrote friends. He worked with graphic designer and art director Ethel Kessler on the poinsettia and other designs for this winter flower Forever® stamps series. 
 
William Low has been a painter and illustrator for 30 years with such clients as American Airlines, Harper Collins Publishers, Henry Holt & Company, LL Bean Inc., and Houston’s Restaurants. He has over a dozen book titles that he has both authored and illustrated with several publishers. 

He is the principal of Cobalt Illustration Studios Inc., an illustration and fine art print studio in Huntington.

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at local Post Offices, at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. 

Collectors have until Dec. 10 to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark. They should buy the stamps and then affix to envelopes, address it to:

Poinsettia Stamp
Special Events Coordinator
380 W 33rd Street, Rm. 4032
New York, NY 10199-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. For more than 50, the price is 5 cents each. 

The postal service said that while the ancient Aztecs saw the flower as  a symbol of purity, nowadays it symbolizes good cheer.

“The image of the poinsettia has proven to be so timeless that the Postal Service has featured it on two previous holiday stamps, one in 1964 and one in 1985,” said U.S. Postal Service Stamp Services Director Susan McGowan. “As these stamps begin their journey from Post Offices all across the land, we hope they will extend warm holiday wishes for a peaceful and joyous season.”

More stamp information is available at facebook.com/USPSStamps, on Twitter@USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2013-preview.