About This Stamp
Inspired by the simplicity of folk-art quilting, the 2027 Love stamp celebrates the small things in life that bring us joy. A continuation of the Postal Service’s popular Love series, and issued in time for Valentine’s Day, this stamp can be used any day of the year to send a little love to friends and family, wherever they might be.
Surrounded by vibrant geometric symbols and shapes, the word “LOVE” creates the center row of three, with a pink heart standing in for the letter “O” and four small hearts in varying colors to its left. The top row from left to right shows a rainbow to the left of a small, red sun, a green bird, a larger, amber sun, and blue, pink, and red triangles. The bottom row shows a fanciful green flower, a French horn, a blue pinwheel, and a floral image with a red blossom and green leaves. The words FOREVER USA run vertically down the right side of the illustration with two small green hearts separating the two words.
Artist and stamp designer Lisa Congdon says the art was influenced by the pared-down color palettes and symbolism of folk-art. “I wanted to emulate the look and feel of a very basic quilt, so the stamp is organized on a grid with a simple and bright color palette, using both geometric shapes and other symbols that evoke joy,” she explains. “I love playing with shapes and symbols in ways that both create energy and a sense of order. Making art is my own antidote to chaos.”
Congdon created the stamp image digitally on a tablet, using multiple “brushes” to create texture and lines. “Digital drawing still engages me in the meditative quality of creative work, and also allows me to create more skillfully and precisely than when I use wet media,” says Congdon.
The 2027 Love stamp is being issued as a Forever® stamp. This Forever stamp will always be equal to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.
Stamp Art Director
Greg Breeding
Greg Breeding is a graphic designer and principal of Journey Group, a design company he co-founded in 1992, located in Charlottesville, Virginia. He was creative director until 2013, at which time he began serving as president and continued in that role through 2023.
Breeding’s fascination with modernism began while studying design at Virginia Commonwealth University. His affinity with the movement continues and motivates his ongoing advanced studies at the Basel School of Design in Switzerland most every summer.
As an art director for postage stamp design since 2012, Breeding has designed more than 100 stamps covering a diverse array of subjects, from Star Wars droids and Batman to Harlem Renaissance writers and the transcontinental railroad.
His work has been recognized in annual design competitions held by Graphis, AIGA, PRINT magazine, and Communication Arts.
Breeding lives in North Garden, Virginia, with his wife and enjoys nothing so much as frolicking on the floor with his grandchildren.
Stamp Designer, Stamp Artist
Lisa Congdon
Self-taught artist and illustrator Lisa Congdon has made a career creating posters, packaging, book illustrations, and ad campaigns for apparel and footwear brands. She has brought her graphic hand-lettered designs to projects for clients around the world, including Brooks Running, Warby Parker, Google, Target, Comme des Garçons, and REI, among many others. She also works extensively for companies in the cycling industry, which, as an avid endurance cyclist, appeals to both her professional and personal interests.
Utilizing bright colors and a whimsical sensibility, Congdon creates illustrations that are bold and make a statement. She draws inspiration from what she refers to as the “three Fs” — folk imagery, flora, and fauna. Mid-century graphic design and illustration also influence her playful style.
Congdon is the author of 10 books, including Art, Inc.: The Essential Guide to Building Your Career as an Artist (2014) and Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic (2019). She also hosts the podcast The Lisa Congdon Sessions, and is cofounder of The Long Table Foundation, which provides professional mentoring and grants for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian artists and creative entrepreneurs. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area of California, she lives and works in Portland, Oregon.
Congdon created the “Cheers!” artwork for the 2024 Pinback Buttons stamp issuance and the artwork for the Happy Birthday stamp in 2026, which she co-designed with art director Greg Breeding. She most recently designed and illustrated the 2027 Love stamp.