From Canada Post’s Details magazine
Issue date: July 12, 2016

“I’m a collector, illustrator, artist and designer. These projects bring all of those elements together.
— Keith Martin, illustrator

Hatched by designer Kosta Tsetsekas and illustrator Keith Martin, these stamps are the first in a three-year series celebrating Canada’s avian citizens. Our first flock includes five official birds: the Atlantic puffin (Newfoundland and Labrabor), the great horned owl (Alberta), the common raven (Yukon), the rock ptarmigan (Nunavut) and the sharp-tailed grouse (Saskatchewan).
To help create the series, Martin learned about his feathered subjects. He explains that, “You ultimately have to understand the physicality of these creatures.”

Martin’s illustrations focus on the most striking traits of each bird: the cartoon-like colouring of the patterns, colours and textures that come together to create the character and warmth of these birds.”

Forced to pick a favourite, Martin chose the puffin. “When it’s flying, it’s like a missile,” he says, “but when it lands, it always looks like it’s doing it for the first time. I wanted to reflect that quirkiness in my illustration.”

With two more years of Canadian birds waiting in the wings, Tsetsekas is equally keen to see the next issues soar. “Before a single image was finalized, Keith and I worked together to plan each bird in the 15-stamp series,” he smiles. “So, naturally, we’re eager to see them take flight.”