A Designer's Story is a regular column for local stamp designers to share with us stories about their featured assignment, providing rare yet often illuminating insights into the ideas and creativity that goes behind the making of a postage stamp. In this edition of Miniature World, we extend our welcome to Lim An Ling, a new member to the stamp designing fraternity. This is An Ling's first stamp project, and we look forward to seeing more of her work in the near future.
When is your first experience with philately?
It used to be one of the weekend activities in my childhood, for my brother, sister and I to organise stamps of different themes and origins into albums. The myriad of stamps were handed to us in a plastic bag by my father. He would then remind us to keep our fingers dry when handling the delicate stamps. I never really understood why, and we made sure the rule is strictly kept to.
One Sunday, I cut out a piece of paper the size of a stamp, and copied a stamp design of a nurse on it, using magic ink. I secretly planted the replica very near to the other stamps. When I next returned to the room, my fingers were drenching wet. Then I deliberately picked up my replicated stamp in the loudest way.
I still remember my brother's face as he saw the ink running off the replica: it was in a dilemma of concern and amazement... as though we have finally found out why wet fingers were not suitable for stamps.
When did you first start stamp designing?
This is the first set of stamps that I have designed.
How did you prepare yourself before you start designing for this theme?
I was very excited when I first received the theme. I asked people around me to find out what they think were vanishing trades and how these trades once operated. I also did some research on the internet. When I could, I would travel to places to look for these trades. I would observe how the trades were done, make some sketches and take photos.
Greatest challenge for this issue?
The greatest challenge I suppose is to get the right faces; faces that I would be glad to receive every time the postman arrives.
Describe this series of stamps using three words.
Vibrance, Dedication and Warmth.
Moving forward, what other themes do you hope to have the opportunity to work on?
One of the themes that I would very much like to work on: "Singapore - Myths or Phenomenon". I think this will be an interesting subject to elaborate, for we seem to have forgotten the romance of myths and the belief in the extraordinaries as we make great strides in our economic buildings.
