When I was approached by Rich Roth, an independent tech entrepreneur, with the idea of creating and illustrating a tarot deck of any theme or genre of my choosing, a business investment for him and a creative challenge for me, I was immediately interested. Though at the time I was not very familiar with the tarot and knew it would take some research and study, I found the project intriguing. Upon some initial research, I realized that a full deck would mean extensive research and illustrating 78 images! I found the project a bit daunting to say the least. Could I really sit at my drafting table everyday and paint 78 paintings/illustrations that were consistent and stay within the theme? After weighting it all out, I knew it would take discipline and perseverance, and those were something I felt I had plenty of. It became a very personal challenge for me.
While I did do some research and educate myself as to the basic principles of tarot, I wanted to rely on my intuition of how the cards would look to me, based on my interpretation of the meaning. Quickly I decided to stay within the Rider-Waite principles, as it is arguably the most recognizable and widely followed. Then I thought about the theme. I decided to go with the Mexican Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos. Death is a natural part of life, and so it seemed natural to me to incorporate the Dia de los Muertos images into the tarot which is so representative of the stages of life and our spiritual growth. I was drawn to "Dia de los Muertos" as a stunning celebration of life and death with all it's symbology. The altars are resplendent with color: bright marigolds, traditional foods and symbolic objects. It has inspired me to want to create a body of work that honors and celebrates this amazing event. I do so with humility and a huge respect for Mexico's history and culture. Of death and dying, "where do those souls go?" so full of life. And if we listen very closely can we hear them? The never ending cycle of things: this was a subject that I was genuinely interested in and was surprised to find not many decks with this type of subject matter.
To the minor Arcana and court cards you will also see I've added repetition of natural and bold geometric shapes and patterns, which I love, echoing the cycles of life and death and the never ending circle. I enjoyed exploration of the elements, earth, air, fire & water, and using color, Zodiac images, and the natural shapes of plants, insects and animals.
My hope was to design an easy to use tarot deck, full of meaningful and thought provoking imagery, and through my art, bring you closer to your own experience and to the mysteries of the universe.
Bright Blessings & Enjoy! Laurel