N'Awlins
According to the Urban Dictionary, the first sign that you are a tourist all comes down to two little words...or at least how you pronounce them. If you say that you are in N'awlins you may as well have just put a big 'ol tourist sticker on your back. Locals actually pronounce the city name as New Awlins. People from other cities hear N'awlins because of the way locals drag out and connect their words. Most locals actually hate hearing people say N'awlins or New Or-Leans. So now that you know how to pronounce it properly, why not check it out for yourself....with me. Well, with Michael de Meng actually (but hey, I'm gonna be there too....)
My darling fiance in conjunction with the fabulous Katherine Engen of Valley Ridge Art Studios are putting on one heck of a party, er, I mean workshop at the end of January and we'd love to see you there!
My darling fiance in conjunction with the fabulous Katherine Engen of Valley Ridge Art Studios are putting on one heck of a party, er, I mean workshop at the end of January and we'd love to see you there!
How I became a Paradoxical Gypsy....
I’m often asked what exactly it was that sparked my intense interest in Tarot cards. After all, I’m logical, so logical in fact that my colleagues used to call me “Spock” back in my days of teaching as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (and while I think my colleagues thought the nickname would annoy me, just between you and me, I always thought of it as a compliment)….but I digress….apparently, it seems rather suspect for a highly logical person to find appeal in the completely illogical, unproven, realm of the occult….and so I am repeatedly asked….how? why?
The beginning of my love affair with Tarot …..truth is I can’t say that I know for sure, what specifically sparked my interest in the cards. It might have had something to do with the fact that as a child I moved enough times to fill up all the properties on a monopoly board – I mean if that doesn’t make you feel like a gypsy what will? And before you ask, no I wasn’t an army brat. I just had a very free spirited mother who went anywhere and everywhere….and boy did we (about 15 different schools by the end of the fifth grade, in case you thought I was exaggerating)! When you couple that with a very compelling story my mother told me about her romance with the Gypsy King of Bratislava (I'm trying to convince her to write her memoirs, so stay tuned....)….well, you can see how perhaps a young girl might become intrigued by a bohemian lifestyle and all that it encompasses.
But, I tend to think that perhaps, my attraction to the world of tarot cards came about because of the simple fact that they were around. My mother had a deck, the Aquarian deck, and the cards were ceremoniously kept wrapped in a silk scarf, next to a pile of books on the dining room table: books about the symbols of the tarot, numerology, the Kabala, the Hebrew alphabet, all just sitting on the table just waiting to be explored. The idea that an answer to any question could be unlocked through a shuffle of the cards and some symbolic deciphering had an irresistible appeal – whether you chose to believe the answer or not, it was still a pretty cool concept. Or maybe, just maybe, I fell in love with Tarot cards because of my love of puzzles and mythology. Deciphering the symbolic codes and artwork of the various decks can feel like trying to decode the hieroglyphics on the Stargate (sorry, but I just can’t escape my geekdom)….whatever the reason, I admit that I find them absolutely fascinating and I’m thoroughly enjoying creating the symbolic language of my own deck.
Artfest 2012
Woohooo!!! Artfest 2012 registration is open...and I am beyond thrilled to be teaching three classes. For those of you who have never been to an Artfest, it's an experience like no other. Over 500 like minded attendees, creating art, sharing experiences, developing new friendships and creating a phenomenal energy that is absolutely infectious.
My classes:
Dorian Gray Portraits
Suspended Souls
Artfest will be held March 28 - April 1, 2012....hope to see some of you there!
Temperance - 14
The concept of needing balance in one's life is not a new one. Elusive...yes, but definitely not new. In fact the principle of achieving balance has found its way into many cultures, religions, and civilizations. Native American wisdom says to walk lightly upon the earth and live in balance and harmony. Temperance. After first glance, the card seems to lack some of the sizzle that you might get with cards like Death, the Tower, the Magician....those are cool cards. Often underestimated though, the temperance card is about one extremely important aspect of achieving happiness in life. Balance. The unification of those things in this world that are diametrically opposed to create a new harmony. The way that fire and water create steam, the temperance card is about creating a balance where one would think that it cannot exist. But how does one create such balance? Patience. And a consistent movement between elements to bring them together. This card in many ways more than others reminds me of some of the magic that happens when we create art. At various points in the creative process we juggle, and when things go incredibly well, we often call it, "getting into our flow". We approach our piece with a certain amount of patience allowing the muse to work through us. A flow between different elements in a piece, the give and take necessary to create a balanced composition, and the perfect moment inbetween two extremes where we create the harmony, where we create art. Not surprisingly, in some decks, this card, magical number 14, is called the Art card.
The traditional depiction of Temperance is a woman, often winged, angelic and poised. She stands quite still as she continuously pours water, the elixir of life, between two vessels. Typically one of the vessels is silver and the other is gold...the union of Heaven and Earth. Cups in the world of Tarot often represents elements in the emotional realm. The water flowing tirelessly back and forth striving always for that perfect moment of equilibrium. The triangle, as a powerful symbol of ancient egypt signifies intelligence and a capacity for love. A symbol for movement and direction, the greek letter delta, mathematically defined as change. While not recognized by all tarot readers, the consensus seems to be that triangles pointing up also make a reference to that which is divine.
I'll leave you today with this quote from Victor Hugo..."To live in balance is good, to live in harmony is better."
Death and Transformation
There are a few cards in the tarot deck that have such foreboding imagery, that the very sight of them can make a person feel ill at ease.
The thirteenth card in the Major Arcana, "Death" not surprisingly is one of these cards. Typically portraying a skeletal figure, often robed in black, walking or riding into town, scythe on one side, petrified figures underfoot, there is indeed a very grave, if you'll pardon the pun, feeling to the whole thing. The menacing central figure is cloaked in symbolism as it personifies death through it's resemblance to the grim reaper as he is depicted in most artwork influenced by the aftermath of the Black Plague.
To understand the symbolism we need only to answer one little question....."what is death...?" I think that no matter what your beliefs, there is no denying that "death" involves a change, from one state of being into another, and it's this concept of transformation that the death tarot card is referring to. Change, transformation, birth and rebirth - that's the true meaning of this ominous looking 13th card.
I think one of the more interesting Tarot decks out there is the Deviant Moon Tarot. Shown in the picture above, this death card is absolutely fantastic, a woman, pregnant, and clearly demonstrating the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
So here's my depiction of the Death. I'm starting all of my cards as original collages...the final card will be photoshopped and put into a more traditional format, but for now..... I'm going to break down how I've added specific elements to heighten the symbolism and meanings behind this card as I interpret it.
The grim reaper, here is redefined as an angel of death, the black robe replaced by black wings, the figure is somewhat androgynous at first glance, but further inspection will reveal very clearly that death is being portrayed by a woman. As women are so clearly linked to the concepts of birth and rebirth, it seemed like a natural choice. The aspects of transformation are addressed in multiple ways. The skull makes its appearance, the transformation from life to death and back again...exaggerated here by having the image on a two dimensional plane, and having the skull protrude into three dimensional space, playing between realms. The white rose, again a traditional symbol of rebirth, is placed over "death's" hand -- her offering, her promise of something new that will await you. A ghostly, semi-transparent, version of death, whole, but not, as she fades into the background, the process of transformation itself. The background with its intense colours, reminiscent of fire which consumes, destroys, and then allows for new growth. Images of skulls neatly and purposefully piled up, a reminder of all that has already transpired, changed, transformed in the past to allow us to be where we are today. And all of it behind a symbolic gate, keeping the past where it belongs, but allowing us to look back and reflect on what we see there.
Change, certainly can be most foreboding, however there are times when it is absolutely necessary.
Life is occupied in both perpetuating itself and in surpassing itself. If all it does is maintain itself, then living is only not dying.
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| Hello Kitty Tarot by Joe Rosales |
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| The Grim Reaper |
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| Della Roca Card -- unnamed |
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| Deviant Moon Tarot by Patrick Valenza |
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The grim reaper, here is redefined as an angel of death, the black robe replaced by black wings, the figure is somewhat androgynous at first glance, but further inspection will reveal very clearly that death is being portrayed by a woman. As women are so clearly linked to the concepts of birth and rebirth, it seemed like a natural choice. The aspects of transformation are addressed in multiple ways. The skull makes its appearance, the transformation from life to death and back again...exaggerated here by having the image on a two dimensional plane, and having the skull protrude into three dimensional space, playing between realms. The white rose, again a traditional symbol of rebirth, is placed over "death's" hand -- her offering, her promise of something new that will await you. A ghostly, semi-transparent, version of death, whole, but not, as she fades into the background, the process of transformation itself. The background with its intense colours, reminiscent of fire which consumes, destroys, and then allows for new growth. Images of skulls neatly and purposefully piled up, a reminder of all that has already transpired, changed, transformed in the past to allow us to be where we are today. And all of it behind a symbolic gate, keeping the past where it belongs, but allowing us to look back and reflect on what we see there.
Change, certainly can be most foreboding, however there are times when it is absolutely necessary.
Life is occupied in both perpetuating itself and in surpassing itself. If all it does is maintain itself, then living is only not dying.
- Simone de Beauvoir
And on that note, I think I'll leave you with this little number...Final Countdown....
Whether you've taken a class from Michael de Meng before or not, I can tell you that his next online course is going to be fantastic. In fact, I've already signed my mom up. Naturally I have a "backstage" pass - and what I've seen so far really goes well beyond what's possible to cover in one or two day project based workshops. If you ever wanted to know what all the thingamabobs and doodads for the various gizmos are all about....click here cause time is running out..........
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