Description
Behind the stamps: Charlie Buchanan on bringing Christmas to life
“Creating images based on something as well-known as the Christmas story is always going to be a challenge because it’s been done so many times before and it’s so familiar; I was keen to approach it from my own
individual perspective and style.
“Christmas is a time of traditional and iconic images which are embedded in our psyches so finding images which are fresh amongst the familiar is another important consideration.
“Key images from the Nativity and the idea of angels walking amongst us seemed the most efficient and atmospheric means of conveying this sense of the familiar and the magical, the known and the unknown. I feel it’s always important to leave a little bit to the viewer as that’s what creates a sense of possibility, duality, and wonder.
“For the Guernsey Nativity I looked to stained glass as a means of visual storytelling and also to convey a sense of beatific light. Working in watercolour, light and colour are key components in my work. The clear stylised forms of stained glass with its leadwork and repetitive graceful shapes meant I could create new images which would be instantly recognisable (even at stamp size) yet would also provide a flow and rhythm to the narrative.
“For the Alderney Angels, I have always been enchanted by the golden age of illustration, in particular artists such as Edmund Dulac and Arthur Rackham. Of course their work also has many associations with storytelling and Christmas time. My work has been influenced by them for a long time so I was very excited to be able to play with the feelings of nostalgia and enchantment their work conveys.
“Christmas has a very particular atmosphere. It is a lot to do with nostalgia and also the idea that we are at the darkest point in the calendar year. The light that surrounds us is often a glow amidst the dark - but a glow that is bright and warm and draws us in. We associate Christmas with the crackle of firelight and the warm flicker of a candle held by a child.
“In both sets of stamps, halos, candles and lamplight provide this glow and it was important to collect resource material that helped me understand how this very particular type of light works. My work always begins with drawing but I also played with colour a lot in early studies to achieve deep tones.
“I wanted all the images to draw the viewer into the stories conveyed. My take on images from both sets of stamps was that I wanted to convey a sense of timelessness and bring the Nativity and watching angels into a space which could be many, many years ago or today, that could be hundreds of miles away on the other side of the world or just down the road. There are anachronisms in these stamps but they are deliberate.
“Christmas is the most magical time of the year and it presents us with a chance to reflect on the story of the birth of Christ and all the wonder that surrounds it. I hope these stamps instil a sense of wonder in the
everyday. The sense of togetherness and hope is what I am most pleased with across all the images.”
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