How My Flower Paintings Ended Up on Canada Post Stamps

In January 2014, an email landed in my inbox from someone claiming to be a stamp manager at Canada Post. As a Kelowna, BC artist known for large-scale acrylic flower paintings, I was used to messages full of overstated claims — invitations to be part of this wide-reaching publication or that worldwide art show — most of which required exorbitant fees. Just another one of those, I thought. I closed my computer and went on with my day.

Could This Be Real? A Canadian Artist's Skepticism

As I cooked dinner that evening, thoughts floated around in my mind. What if? Could it be real? Is it even possible? But again, I dismissed the idea as absurd. There's no way this could be real. However, two days later, I plunked myself down in a chair and faced my husband behind his desk. "I got an email from someone claiming to be from Canada Post, wanting me to design a pair of postage stamps. As if." He stared at me while his pen hovered in his hand.

"Did you check to see if it's from an official Canada Post email address?" he asked.

I hadn't thought of that. Oops.

From Exhilaration to Letdown: The Stamp Commission Offer

Well, it turned out to be real. The Canada Post stamp manager told me that he believed my acrylic painting style would be perfect for their 2015 Flower Series stamps. A tingling energy started to race through my entire body. This is real! My signature large-scale acrylic flower paintings — which had been my passion as a Canadian flower artist for over twenty-five years — could be displayed on Canada's postage stamps!

Then the manager specified that they needed the two paintings by early March, and just like that, my elation vanished. I flopped down onto the couch. Though their timeframe was reasonable, I had committed to have fifteen paintings ready for a spring exhibit in Vancouver, and I simply didn't have time to paint two additional pieces. I had no choice but to turn down the opportunity.

As I sighed in disappointment, the stamp manager put our call on hold. I waited. I stood up and paced around the room. I sat down again. I got up again, paced around, then stopped and looked out the window. I wonder why it's taking so long. When he returned to our call, he said he had spoken to the stamp committee, and they had decided to postpone the deadline to June. For me.

Oh No, Not Pansies! Painting a Flower I'd Never Loved

I felt like jumping around the room. It's real. It's happening! My work might be on postage stamps. I can't believe it! But my elation was once again short-lived as the stamp manager stated that the flower chosen for the 2015 Flower Series stamps was the pansy.

I didn't paint flat flowers. I painted flowers with depth and light and shadow and movement. Plus, I had never really admired or even had much interest in growing pansies — never mind painting them. Oh no, this wouldn't do at all. "You can paint pansies, right?" the stamp manager asked.

"Of course." I heard myself answer.

And so began an enchantment with a flower I had deeply underestimated. Those two pansy paintings would go on to propel my artistic journey in a direction I could never have imagined — from a solo art exhibit three years later to an ongoing biennial fundraiser, allowing me to donate tens of thousands of dollars to charities from the sale of limited-edition prints.

From Canada Post Stamps to a Royal Canadian Mint Coin

I finished the acrylic paintings by the end of May, then waited for the June stamp committee meeting, where they would decide between me and two other artists. Maybe it was luck, or perhaps it was fate — but had I not completed those two pansy paintings three weeks ahead of schedule, I would not have been available for the next national commission to come my way.

The Royal Canadian Mint reached out and asked me to design a Royal Canadian Mint collector's coin — which still doesn't feel real to say out loud.

The Week That Two National Commissions Changed Everything

The second week of June 2014 is marked in my mind forever. Within three days, I learned that my artwork had been chosen for both national commissions. I struggled to find words to describe what it feels like to have your country seek you out — to feature your original flower paintings on a pair of postage stamps and a coin. It was an honour that left me almost speechless, wrapped in gratitude, humbleness, and disbelief. How is this my life?

It was required that I sign confidentiality agreements and wait until the following year before I could announce either project to anyone but my closest family. It was not an easy task — but I somehow managed to contain all that elated energy and live life as usual. The following year, all my dreams — the ones I never even knew I had — came true. And it was well worth the wait.

The Day I Saw My Paintings in Canada's National Museum

Years after the stamps and coin were released, those same feelings came rushing back when I stood inside the Canadian Museum of History and, much to my surprise, discovered my pansy stamps displayed as part of their permanent collection.

I had painted those two pansy paintings in my studio in Kelowna, BC — skeptical of the email at first, stretched for time with another commitment, and unaware of where the opportunity would lead. Not bad for an email I almost deleted.

How Does Canada Post Choose Stamp Artists?

I'm often asked this after sharing my story. In my case, the Canada Post stamp manager discovered my work independently and reached out directly — a reminder that consistently showing up, building a body of work, and maintaining a strong online presence can lead to opportunities you never anticipated. Canada Post does accept portfolio submissions from Canadian professional artists if you'd like to put your own work forward.

For me, it started with twenty-five years of painting flowers — and one email I almost deleted.

If this story resonates with you, I'd love for you to learn more about me and explore the collection of pansy paintings inspired by the stamp commission. Original acrylic paintings are available in my gallery and many are also offered as limited edition prints. And, if you've ever dreamed of a painting created just for you, I'd be honoured to hear from you on my commissions page.