New Deck Started - New Member!

Hello! I have been watching the forum for some time now, but just recently joined. I have always been interested in the world of the Tarot symbols and, as an artist, I love the variety of artistic styles. My favorite decks are the Faeries Oracle and the Rune Cards by Tony Linsell. It is the Rune Cards that gave me the inspiration for the deck I have started. It is a collaborative project between myself and my friend Stacey. Stacey is a Letterpress printmaker and owner of Steracle Press. I am designing the cards and she is going to print them. I have a tentative list prepared and several sample images. You can see the deck at...
http://www.kollaranderson.com/studio/deck.html

I would love feedback from all the wonderful Tarot experts here on the forum. I want to make sure the cards make sense and I don't repeat. Any advice or feedback is appreciated! Thank you!

This deck of oracle cards seems to be based on Art Nouveau. Best wishes! We'd love to see the images as they develop!

I am greatly influenced by Art Nouveau. I was looking at artists such as Mucha for inspiration. I love the fluidity of line. Hopefully the final ink drawings will keep that light flowing feeling.

Thanks for responding. If you have any feedback regarding the content of the cards I would love to hear it.

First off, Welcome to Aeclectic! This is an Awesome forum, with a great amount of support and wisdom to share!

Your oracle deck idea is wonderful! And your artwork is fun and your symbolism is clever. This deck looks like it will be very approachable when it is finished.
This is the kind of deck that I love to collect! (I am a sucker for oracles anyway!)

You are doing an excellent job so far, and I eagerly wait to see more!

I have only one suggestion...and that is to possibly consider changing the name of one of the cards.
I like the concept of the "Fool" card, but the name doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the list.
When I see the word, I think of a person, or the card in the tarot, but it seems to fit oddly in with the other names.
What about the title "Play"? It is more of a concept of action, like the other titles of the cards...and as a concept, it looks like it fits the questions more than "fool..." (which makes me think "To trick" rather than "To fool around..."

I dunno...it's just a thought. It was just the one card title that didn't seem to go with the others as I read down the list.

Keep up the good work, and keep us updated on your progress!
(I want a copy of this deck when you finish it!)

Peace, and Inspiration,
Chronata

Great suggestion! That one also stuck out because it is one of the traditional Tarot cards and I kept thinking I didin't want that association. Thanks for the help!

One other thing that I was curious about...
Is the finished deck going to be black and white pen and ink style...or full color like your oil paintings? (which, by the way...I think are FABULOUS!)
Just wondering.... : )

Peace,
Chronata

There will be seom color. Not sure where yet. They will be letterpress printed, so the color will be simple, maybe the image one color, the bottom another and the word a third. That will be up to my friend Stacey, the printer.

Thanks for the compliment about my paintings. Another nice thing about these cards is that I am getting lots of ideas for paintings!

I have updated my site with new information on the cards. Instead of the lame questions, I have found quotes for each word, changed a few words and added several new card images. Check my site for more info...
http://kollaranderson.com/studio/deck.html

Thanks!

Kollar Anderson said:

That one also stuck out because it is one of the traditional Tarot cards and I kept thinking I didin't want that association.

Click to expand...

I like your cards appearance - they are very decorative.

Perhaps you could help me with something that I seem to keep struggling with?

You are creating an oracle deck and don't seem to want any tarot associations. That's fair enough, but I don't understand the purpose behind it.

What is your deck for? Is it something you're doing for yourself or do you imagine marketing it once it's finished? If you do plan on marketing it, what would the potential buyer get that they wouldn't get from a tarot deck or any of the many other oracle decks on the market?

Major Tom-
Thank you for the compliments and great questions.

The major reason for creating the deck in the first place was for my friend Stacey and I to collaborate on a project. We both have skills that complimented each other and neither of us could really make the deck on our own. For us, it is a labor of love. We do hope others will want to purchase and enjoy the deck, but we are only going to make an edition of 50-100 decks. We don't expect our deck to be for everyone or have a straight forward, "Step one = Do this, etc." kind of format. I really wanted to make it open-ended enough that person could use it as an oracle deck and have a new interaction and reaction each time they use it. Currently, I only own one deck of cards: Animal Medicine Cards. They were a thoughtful gift from a dear friend. When I am upset about something or confused and have no clue what step to take next, I consult the cards. I think about the issue that is bothering me and pull a card. Sometimes it is an obvious solution to my problem, but most of the time it doesn't directly apply to what I am asking. So I think about the problem in relation to the card and it jolts my mind out of the rut. Soon I am able to look at the situation from a new angle or with a new attitude. It doesn't solve the problem, but rather helped me in my perception of it. That is what I would like our cards to do. It is like going to a therapist and they just ask you a bunch of questions. They don't tell you what exactly you should do, they help you figure it out on your own. I believe this is also what the Faery Oracle cards do. I am going to pick those up one of these days.

On a basic level, the deck will be a work of art and some will appreciate it on that level alone. The images will all be original designs and each card must be hand-run through the press. They will not only be lovely to look at, but also very tactile and wonderful to touch. The letterpress process imprints or embosses the image into the heavy cardstock. If you have never touched a letterpress piece, you are missing out. It is wonderful.

For some people, our deck isn't anything revolutionary, but I think a few will appreciate it's subtle appeal and treasure it whether it is their only deck or an addition to their collection.

I hope that answers your questions. Thank you for asking them.