Tonia Jillings Artist

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artist notes…

I have decided to add a blog to my website to answer some of the questions I am frequently asked and to let you know more about my Postage stamp art process.

Firstly I would like to thank you for your interest in my stamp artwork and for finding yourself here on my website liaising with me. I am glad to have you along, and knowing that you are looking, having an interest, and letting me know you like what I do, is really what encourages me to keep creating and showing my art.

Secondly please feel free to get in touch and speak to me directly about the artwork and yourselves, what you would like to see created, what stamps you collect, who you are looking to find a gift for, I would love to hear from you!

I use real stamps in my art work, many stamps are vintage, mint or used, some with postmarks. Mint stamps are clean and crisp, however the used and postmarked stamps do have a story behind them and have been placed on mail that has travelled the world, carrying messages, I often wonder to who and what information the messages contained!

In creating my artwork so far I have chosen to up-cycle GB Royal Mail stamps, USA, Polish, Eire and worldwide thematic stamps. I am often sent stamps from customers own collections to use, where we discuss a suitable stamp and they post it to me to use.

I choose stamps with and image that I can extend out into a background to create an image with details around the stamp itself. The size of the painting can depend on the scale of the stamp, sometimes I choose to use a set of stamps to create a larger wall art.

Currently I only create original art, which are ‘one off’ pieces. I like to keep the art unique and specially created for you. I may use the same stamp in more than one piece of art, in a similar but different way.

The style of painting is called a Pastiche, where I have created '“an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period” I feel I approach this process in a sympathetic way so as not to take away anything from the wonderful piece of art that the stamp already is. I hope that I am seen to be enhancing the stamp and I feel that getting the stamp out on display will encourage discussion and encourage more people to consider exploring stamp collecting as a pastime.