Berkeley artist’s floral images land on Postal Service stamps

Berkeley native Harold Davis has put his stamp on, well, stamps — U.S. Postal Service stamps, to be exact.

This year, the respected artist, author and educator will have introduced the world to seven of his floral, currency-representing envelope artworks.

His latest set of florals chosen for the USPS stamps was unveiled Thursday in a public ceremony at the USPS post office on Allston Way in Berkeley.

“I won’t try to hide that it is a real kick,” he says. “The first time an incoming letter used one of my stamps I was totally thrilled.”

That would have been in 2022, when his first two USPS stamps were released — the Tulip Panorama Forever first-class stamp and the Sunflower Bouquet 2-ounce stamp.

The stamps were also featured by the USPS for the cover of its 2022 Stamp Yearbook and as a greeting card set it sold.

His set of flowers that will grace this year’s stamp release, and their denomination, will be tulips (1 and 5 cents), daffodils (2 cents), peonies (3 cents) and echinacea and matilija poppies (10 cents).

“This was a decision made by the USPS and its wonderful art director, Ethel Kessler,” he says. “When Ethel approached me, the request was for floral imagery and it was Ethel’s idea with these new stamps to include the same number of blossoms as the stamp’s denomination.”

So that’s why there is one tulip for the 1-cent stamp and three peonies for the 3-cent stamp, he says.

“Ethel and I worked together to choose the best images from my library that met this criteria,” he says. “I am looking forward to creating a ‘garden’ on an envelope with these stamps.”

According to Davis, Kessler first contacted him after viewing a video of his art presentation at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

He uses digital photographs as his source images and has pioneered a specific set of techniques in his art.

“A number of digital captures are taken using a light box, and then combined in post-production,” he says. “I then use digital painting techniques to enhance the images.”

He was honored with the 2022 Progress Award by the Photographic Society of America for these techniques and specifically cited his use of back lighting to “create luminous, translucent imagery.”

His floral artwork for the USPS, though, remains “one of the high points” of his professional career as an artist and photographer.

The process is involved and can take time. As an example, the process for the stamps unveiled this week began in 2021 with the final designs completed last year.

“I think that it is not easy to choose an image that works visually within the constraints of the postage stamp size,” he says. “As Ethel and I looked through my images, we made an initial selection, and then a committee at USPS made the final cut from this shortlist.”

While the USPS has focused on his floral work, his artful eye is focused on a variety of forms.

“I am attracted to beauty,” he says. “The world needs more beauty and less ugliness. I like most to photograph landscapes in nature, gardens and flowers, and beautiful women. There’s a reason the tagline on my website reads ‘Making the world a more beautiful place one image at a time.'”

The new stamps may be ordered at usps.com.

Show off

If you have a beautiful or interesting Marin garden or a newly designed Marin home, I’d love to know about it.

Please send an email describing either one (or both), what you love most about it and a photograph or two. I will post the best ones in upcoming columns. Your name will be published and you must be over 18 years old and a Marin resident.

Not-to-miss events

• Join Marie Narlock of the UC Marin Master Gardeners when she presents an “Introduction to California Native Plants” from 4 to 5 p.m. July 30 in the third-floor large conference room at the San Rafael City Hall at 1400 Fifth Ave. in San Rafael. Call 415-485-3323 or go to srpubliclibrary.org/events.

• All levels of artists are invited to join the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art and architect David Rinehart for plein-air sketching at the Palace of Fine Arts, including a brief historical walking tour and guided instruction, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 3 at 3601 Lyon St. in San Francisco. Fees are $40 for ICAA members; $60 for nonmembers; and $20 for students and emerging professionals. Call 415-309-6520 or go to classicist-nocal.org.

PJ Bremier writes on home, garden, design and entertaining topics every Saturday. She may be contacted at P.O. Box 412, Kentfield 94914, or at pj@pjbremier.com.