by Igor Krasnov
On February 20, the Victoria Stamp Club had the pleasure of welcoming Canadian licensing artist Bex Morley for a long-anticipated presentation. The meeting had been in preparation for several months, and the strong turnout of club members reflected the high level of interest in the topic.
Bex’s lively and engaging talk, titled “A Christmas Stamp Story. A Two-Year Journey from Initial Sketch to Final Stamp” was received with great enthusiasm. Members followed the story attentively and participated in an animated question-and-answer session that continued well beyond the formal presentation. Bex expressed sincere gratitude to the Club for the invitation and the warm reception.
Interestingly, she noted that she does not often receive recognition in Canada, as most of her clients are based in the United States. She describes herself as a “licensing artist” or “pattern designer” explaining her work in simple terms: “I create art for manufacturers who put it on their products.” Her designs appear on a wide range of commercial goods through licensing agreements.
Bex works directly on her iPad and does not use artificial intelligence in her creative process. She emphasized that she never incorporates AI into her artwork and remarked that she has become quite adept at recognizing AI-generated elements in other artists’ designs.
A significant portion of the presentation focused on her 2025 Christmas stamp for Canada Post. Bex explained that the real work on a stamp begins only after the artist’s pitch has been accepted and a contract signed. In her case, collaboration with Canada Post was facilitated through Sputnik Design in Toronto, which acts as an intermediary in the development of new stamp issues.
The timeline of the project was particularly fascinating for philatelists. The initial request for a design was received in July 2022. The final selection of the artist took place in November 2022. The artistic work on the stamp was completed by July 2023. However, due to contractual obligations and production timelines, Bex was required to maintain complete confidentiality about the project for approximately two and a half years, a condition she admitted was extremely difficult to observe, especially as it was the first contract of this magnitude in her career.
Canada Post provided clear creative guidelines for the design:
- It must include Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus.
- Mary and Joseph must have equal value in size and position.
- Skin tones should be kept on the darker side.
- The Three Wise Men, animals, and a shining star were welcome but optional.
- No stable or buildings were to be depicted.
- The overall tone should convey a fun, whimsical, childlike feeling appealing to a broad audience.
The draft design underwent several internal review committees to ensure religious and cultural accuracy. Only after these approvals did the prolonged refinement of details begin.
When the stamp was finally released into circulation, it was sold out in many post offices, a testament both to the popularity of Christmas issues and to the appeal of Bex Morley’s nostalgic visual language.
The project also resulted in several associated philatelic products:
- Booklet (approx. 100 mm × 135 mm folded)
- Official First Day Cover (190 mm × 112 mm)
- Cancellation – black lifework only (24 mm round)
Reflecting on the finished stamp, Bex shared her personal vision: “I wanted to bring back that nostalgic feeling of an old-fashioned Christmas. I hope that it brings back that feeling of nostalgia and innocence.”
The February 20 meeting offered Club members not only insight into the complex and often lengthy process behind a modern stamp issue, but also a rare glimpse into the world of contemporary licensing art. The evening demonstrated that today’s postage stamps remain a fascinating intersection of art, commerce, and national identity, and that even in the digital age, the journey from sketch to stamp is anything but simple.