Q1307

Earth

Continent - South America

Collins Cover Announcement 

EARTH

Two giant pandas are enjoying a lunch of tender shoots in a bamboo thicket. A sleek jaguar, regal in its distinctively marked coat, stalks through a tropical jungle. With trumpeting trunk and huge, curved tusks, an African bull elephant guards his watering hole. A group of playful penguins, attired in their formal black tuxedos, bring life to the desolate Antarctic. A sinister carnivorous shark glides menacingly through The ocean depths. Guided by primeval instinct, a herd of reindeer migrates across northern Finland. Perched in a tree, the lovable koala bear is so cute that he rivals the panda for world affection. With wide eyes and intent stare, the magnificent great horned owl of our own American wilderness is king of the dark forest night.

Encouraged by the many favorable comments about my CAPEX Wildlife set, I decided that the new "Earth" issue presented an unusual opportunity for me and COLLINS collectors. Usually, I am somewhat limited by the subject matter as to the design possibilities of my cachet. This time, with earth as the subject, virtually the whole world could be considered. As previewed above, I grabbed the opportunity to depict on my covers some of the most interesting wild species from around the globe.

But.....I did not want to limit myself or you to wildlife. There is so much natural beauty that it was only fitting that that too found a spot on my covers. High in the Swiss Alps, the Matahorn juts magestically toward the heavens. The bleak beauty of the Australian outback brings new meaning to solitude. A thundering cascade of water and mist herald the spectacle of Victoria Falls. High above the scenic bay at Rio de Janeiro the mountaintop statue of Christ overlooks the city and harbor.

The seven seas, turbulent and calm, speak of nature's diversity. Isolation in the frozen expanse of Antarctica's world of ice is in itself a thing of raw beauty. A delicate pink lotus flower blooms, in full splendor, in the orient. And, finally, the awesome Grand Canyon stretches for miles with its multi-colored chasms and gorges. And so, the hand-painted covers began to spring to life with beautiful wildlife in natural settings plus the additional dimension of marvelous examples of nature's handiwork. The colors and combinations are great -- really superb. But.....there was one thing missing, so back to the drawing board. Covers about the earth would not be complete without the diversity of the people. And so, from each of our seven continents and from the ocean depths, I chose an interesting and artistically attractive person to complete my theme.

A Peruvian mother with baby on her back atop a high plateau in the Andes. An African princess attired in colorful tribal dress. A rugged sheep rancher from "down under" holding a baby lamb.