2026 Artist Insights: Lovebirds

Birds of a feather

Keepsake Artist Emma Leturgez-Smith gives you a first look at Lovebirds.

Lovebirds
Member Exclusive.

From pretty parakeets to festive fruit doves, Emma has quite a few feathers in her cap when it comes to the Beautiful Birds series. But for her club-exclusive ornament for 2026, she took on a new challenge: two birds, one ornament!

“I’ve been wanting to create a lovebird ornament for a long time, but it was important to me that this ornament featured a pair instead of just one bird,” Emma says. “Lovebirds got their name because they’re very attached to their partners and cuddle up close with their faces pushed together. So, I decided to feature a couple and give our fans a little more bird for their buck.”

Lovebirds, a type of small parrot, are a popular pet, and Emma says KOC members have been asking her for years to create a lovebirds ornament-so she was flying high when her art director approved her proposal!

The ornament features two lovebirds facing each other as they perch on a branch. If you look closely, you’ll notice three heart shapes hidden in the ornament: the curve of the branch, the birds’ pose and the peach-colored spots on their faces.

“As I started sculpting, I wondered if I could also create a ‘sneaky’ Christmas color palette. So there’s green and red, but it’s kind of a summery, pop-culture take on those traditional colors,” Emma says. “Lovebirds are found in all kinds of colors, but the ornament is based on the ones you’d most commonly find in the wild.”