About This Stamp
Combining artistic vision with a symbol of undying affection, the 2015 Forever Hearts stamps beautifully depict the ancient association between eternal love and the heart.
Lacy lettering in the shape of a heart spells out the word “Forever” on two stamps. One design features red lettering on a white background; the other is reversed, with white lettering on a field of red.
Artist Jessica Hische created the lettering that forms the heart, first drawing her design by hand and then finishing the stamp art digitally. The red and white color scheme works well with other colors and adds a timeless feel to the design, which resembles filigree.
A religious symbol, a motif in art, an expression of affection or support—today the heart is everywhere, not only at Valentine’s Day but also year-round. It signifies romantic love as well as love of people, places, or ideas. In the 1970s, a campaign to increase tourism in New York famously substituted the heart symbol for the word “love” in its slogan, a trademarked logo that spawned imitations around the world. Scores of businesses and organizations use the heart as part of their logos. Heart designs are carved onto furniture, etched onto jewelry, sewn into quilt patterns, and fashioned into sculpture. In February, the heart is found on everything from cookies to cards to kids’ clothes.
The traditional colors of red and white would be appropriate for valentines, wedding invitations, baby announcements, anniversary cards, party invites, or any occasion that calls for a classic, timeless stamp.
Art director Antonio Alcalá and artist Jessica Hische designed the stamps.
Stamp Art Director
Antonio Alcalá
Antonio Alcalá served on the Postmaster General’s Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee from 2010 until 2011, when he left to become an art director for the U.S. Postal Service's stamp development program.
He is founder and co-owner of Studio A, a design practice working with museums and arts institutions. His clients include: the National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Phillips Collection, and Smithsonian Institution. He also lectures at colleges including the Corcoran College of Art + Design, SVA, Pratt, and MICA.
In 2008, his work and contributions to the field of graphic design were recognized with his selection as an AIGA Fellow. He has judged international competitions for the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, AIGA, and Graphis. Alcalá also serves on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and Poster House Museum’s advisory councils. His designs are represented in the AIGA Design Archives, the National Postal Museum, and the Library of Congress Permanent Collection of Graphic Design.
Alcalá graduated from Yale University with a BA in history and from the Yale School of Art with an MFA in graphic design. He lives with his wife in Alexandria, Virginia.
Stamp Artist
Jessica Hische
Growing up in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, Jessica Hische always knew she wanted to be an artist. Her first professional drawing project was a mural for a restaurant in her hometown. She went on to study graphic and interactive design at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia, graduating with a B.F.A. in 2006.
Hische began her career as a graphic designer in Philadelphia before moving to New York City to pursue her passion for illustration. A freelance designer since 2009, her clients have included Penguin Books, The New York Times, American Express, OXFAM America, and McSweeney’s. Hische also worked closely with director Wes Anderson to create the title design and credits for Moonrise Kingdom.
Using color and whimsy, Hische infuses a unique style into her typographical designs. “A friend of mine described it once as ‘equal parts design, typography, illustration, brown sugar, and heavy cream,’” she says. “I create letterform-focused artwork that always has a homemade warmth to it.”
Hische’s projects for the U.S. Postal Service® include Love Skywriting (2017), Forever Hearts (2015), Sealed With Love (2013), and Love Ribbons (2012). She lives in San Francisco with her husband, Russ, and their cats, Billy and Olive.