Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Ronald Reagan Stamp Artist Couldn't Say No

According to the Dallas Morning News, "When Bart Forbes got a call from the U.S. Postal Service asking him to design the commemorative stamp honoring President Ronald Reagan's centennial birthday, the Plano artist couldn't say no."

Reporter Matthew Huisman writes, "The request was simple but the task complex: show the casual side of the 40th president in just a square inch. But with about 20 such stamp designs under his belt, Forbes, 70, was prepared.

He goes on to say, "Using a number of photos supplied by former first lady Nancy Reagan, he started to sketch his ideas. One of the sketches featured a portrait of a smiling Reagan set against the landscape of his beloved Rancho del Cielo near Santa Barbara, Calif. The idea was based on a photo taken in 1985, during Reagan's second term."

It took about nine months for Forbes to finish the stamp doing the work at his Texas studio. Nancy Reagan was highly influential in the design, offering critiques every step of the way according to Matthew.

Melissa Giller, spokeswoman for the Ronald Reagan Foundation, is quoted as saying, ""She [Nancy Reagan] is very happy with the stamp. She as well as all of us here at the foundation are quite pleased and think it captures his spirit."

Shown above, the orignal photo upon which the final illustration was based.

To read the entire, article, click here.

For more on creating the Reagan stamp and some early sketches, click here.
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posted by Don Schilling at 12:01 AM