Finally got started!

thnx Patter! I's nice to have an artist looking at my work

magician

I like the magician - down ward-looking and warm colours -- nice contrast to you priestess. The symbolism is a little dark? Looks a bit like magician reversed or modernised/globalised rather than outright archaic 'forest king'.

the magician to me is a creator, someone who is above reality and is able to manipulate it. It takes power and energy to create hence the red and flames and the muscular body. I agree that he is not really friendly and nice looking, but that aren't the feelings that I associate with the magician anyway. I depicted him in the act of creating and that is not a time to bother a magician...

I just took a peek at your cards and my must say they are quite beautiful! I love the way you play with color, especially in the face of the priestess.

I was wondering if you wouldn't mind discussing your thoughts and feelings on the cards themselves, like you did with your last post on the magician card? Also, do you mind people asking questions about your cards? I realize that you didn't specifically ask for crits and questions, but I can't help myself when I look at your wonderful artwork ! I promise to refain bombarding you with questions till I recieve a reply from you.

Keep up the good work!

I would be happy to answer any questions about my cards. I paint them purely for personal use but I really like to hear what other people have to say about them, what the images do to them.
Also, I'm very willing to explain any symbolism. It would be a bad thing if I couldn't explain my own work!

Thanks for the permission! I have so many questions... where do I begin ? It is important to note that I am a complete Tarot newbie, so if I ask a stupid question it's probably because I don't know any better.

I would like to know if you use colors as part of your symbolism? It wouls seem that you do, but that is just a guess based on the way you have colored your four cards (And I wouldn't want to ask a question dealing with color symbolism and it turns out you just use color for design purposes, which is fine as well). If you have, could you tell us if you are using traditional color meanings and, if so, are they the western or eastern type? Or do you have your own interpretations of the colors?

Could you explain your thoughts on your fool card? I notice that he has wings, may I ask why? I have seen a few tarot decks with a similar image, so I would like to know the significance. Also, is there any significance in the fact that his wings are at a 45 degree angle with the horizon line as well as the grass that covers the path? Why does the grass cover the path? What does that lovely tear shape mean (I love the slight distortion in it that makes it seem liquid)? Any significance in the numbers? Like the fact that you have 12 "mounds/mountains" visible and 6 distorted by the crystal? 4 blue lines radiating from the sun and 6 lines distorted by the crystal?

Ack! I am probably asking too many questions! Feel free to pick and choose what questions you would like to answer. I look forward to knowing more about your cards .

let me first say that one can never ask to many questions when one is truly interested in the answers! Second; I'm very flattered that you are interested in my cards!

The Fool to me represents beginnings. Thats why I painted the egg (tear shaped thing in the back ground...) Inside the egg all is blue, is if in an innocent dream. The Fool has left the egg and spreads his wings to try them out in the world. Wings represent freedom to me, his wings give him the chance to fly of the well known green pastures in to the fascinatingly unknown. He HAS to leave the grassy edge in order to reach the road that will lead him towards his destiny.
I really don't know anything about the significance of numbers...the amount of hills and such is purely based on coincidence. However I do not deny the power that can ly in that..I'm not wise enough to explain it. The same goes for the angles. I just thought it looked nice and it made the fool stand out a bit more. You might have also noticed that the intire surroundings seem to be made up out of circles arount the sun and the egg. Thats because everything starts with the egg, like a stone in a pool and everything ends with desitiny. I chose the sun as a symbol for destiny/destination because it looks so inviting from a far.

I use the colors that make me feel the right thing about the cards. I think about a card and just start seeing it in perticular colors, this has something to do with experience and upbringing I think, but I do not deliberately follow a system.
Red for fiery energy, blue for holy wisdom and contemplation (holy mary?), green for earth and life. I choos the color scheme before I start the final painting and try to stick with it.

I hope this has answered some of your questions...

Absolutely facinating! Thank you for answering my questions!

Mind if I ask you a few things about the magician card? He has two antlers and a small pillar of flame emitting from his head, may I ask the meanings behind them? And the ball (?) he is sitting on has a checker pattern on it. Would there be any significance in that? Or is it just a pattern? Also, you have five lines of color (seven if you include the colors on his sides). Do these have any significance? When I look at them I feel as if they are some form of energy being drawn to him... but that's just me.

By the way, I love how you portrayed him! When I look at this card I get the feeling of honesty, mainly because of the way you choose to paint him. He has such a great human feel (by that I mean he doesn't look like some unrealistic fashion model). I love it !

thnx again for the interest!
I shall try to explain my magician as best as I can.
The ball/globe on which he sits has two meanings to me. Firts is that it represents reality, the magician is above reality. Second is that it represents some sort of template which can be transformed into anything the magician desires. I tried to give it a template feel by using the checker pattern. The globe he sits upon is a template for a world he can create by using his powerful imagination.
I gave the magician antlers because I associate the magician to the ancient druids and their masculin deity in the form of the horned one.
His head is on fire with inspiration. A little spark burst into flames when his own imagination was combined with something outside himself, something greater. Call it a muse that pours pure energy into his mind from above.
The yellow beams also come from above, from some pool of creative power any artist can learn to draw from. The power flows into his hands, making them the tools of creating.
The body of the magician is beig used as a creative tool by the powers above him, without these powers he can not create. BUt without him and his imagination this energy would never be transformed into matter.

Once again, I am absolutely mind boggled at your descriptions! Thank you, once again, for answering my questions.

Mind if I ask about the next card?

On the priestess card you show only her face. Someone had already mentioned they felt that by not revealing her body you were showing her hidden aspects. Is that what you had in mind when creating this card? Or something different? The "crown" on her head resembles the high priestess' diadem from RW (I am sorry, that I do not yet know the symbolic significance of it, nor do I recognise if that particular shape comes from anything). Was that what you meant it to look like? If so, why did you change it the way you did? If not, what does it symbolize? I also noticed the lines in the background similar to the Magicians. Are they similar in meaning, but maybe representing a different kind of power? I also noticed that the priestess' forehead was a lot smaller than that of the fool and magician. Is there any reason? Or was it just an artistic thing?

Once again, if you feel like answering my questions, I look forward to hearing your answers.