It’s been a long time since I was able to give an update on the new deck in progress. During the span of each sign, I’m working on the color process for at least 5 cards. These are the minor cards whose line art was inked during the “decan walk” of March 2021-March 2022, and also the related Majors and courts.
The 36 small cards are painted/colored in the approximate 10 day period that the Sun occupies their corresponding decan. As those get done, I’m also working on the Major card associated with the sign, and the court card that has two decans of that sign are completed during those two decans.
So for example, during the first face of Aries aka the first decan of Aries, I completed the Two of Wands, also known as(the Lord of) Dominion. (Throughout this, I’ll link the original post with thoughts on each card, as I don’t have time to write much again and it’s all still here.)
With all this painting, plus life going on and garden season happening, I have not had much time/energy left for posting. But here is a look at the art at least, and some links back to the post for the line art with thoughts at the time. I’m putting back some of the previously deleted line art too so you can compare to the color versions.
After the Two of Wands was done, I started in on the Emperor. He was worked on throughout the sign of Aries. During the next decan period for the Three of Wands, I’d also work on the Queen of Wands, who had the majority of her decans in the sign of Aries and has the Two and Three of Wands in her purview. Sometimes I’d be working on two cards at once, say the Two of Wands and the Emperor, or the Queen and the Three of Wands.
Three of Wands original post commentary, and new art:
Four of Wands or third face of Aries commentary
“A crowned queen with long red-golden hair, seated upon a throne,
with steady flames beneath. She wears a corselet and buskins of scale-mail, which latter her robe
discloses. Her arms are almost bare. On cuirass and buskins are winged leopard’s heads; the
same symbol surmounts her crown. At her side is a couchant leopard on which her hands rest.
She bears a long wand with a very heavy conical head. Her face is beautiful and resolute.” – Book T
The we get into the very agricultural decans of Taurus, which indeed do correspond to me doing lots of gardening work here in the Northern hemisphere. Here is the Five of Disks, first face of Taurus the first decan of Taurus, Lord of Material Trouble aka Worry – will we reap what we sow?
Some commentary on this card and its connection with sowing, plowing, and dividing the land.
…and the original commentary for Six of Disks. You can see the solar (Six) and lunar (Moon as ruler of Taurus II) in the combination of Apollo/Selene
original commentary on the third face of Taurus, the Seven of Disks or Failure, here
bears as a crest, the symbol of a winged bull’s head. Beneath the chariot is land, with many
flowers. In one hand he bears an orb of gold held downwards, and in the other a scepter sur-
mounted by an orb and cross. – Book T
As of now, I’ve also completed all the Gemini cards, but have run out of time for posting for now. I finished the 8, 9, and 10 of Swords – all of the faces or decans of Gemini – plus the Lovers and the Knight of Swords. I will share some of those in the newsletter. Sign up here to see more!
Mel,
My aim is to encourage as it’s so deserved & EARNED. I know dedication when I see it…
Specifically, the colors on the 10 Swords are so improbable yet for the first time I sense an (uneasy) truce with this card.
The Prince of Disks is nearly 3D!
My favorite is the seven of disks…this elephantine man seems strangely familiar (beyond Millets Hoe-man).
The skeletal figures with their anatomically correct cervical vertebrae! are pure genius! And the color interaction is subtle/absorbing…
This deck will live for millennia
Magical, masterful
Mel,
The varied use of color is…so impressive,
as is the extraordinary level of detail. These will be cards for the eon-if I dare say. Honestly, many are so embodied & powerful I could not linger over…but I will in time!
C
Thanks for taking the time to look and to comment Constance. I appreciate the feedback as it takes so much work consistently over such a long period of time! So it feels good to get encouraged though I am in this til the end no matter what (and whether or not anyone is looking.)
The colors are all chosen based on the Golden Dawn color scales. Sometimes it is quite a challenge to work within a limited palette but weirdly no matter the subject matter somehow the colors seem to work. But color work and design is something I enjoy!
It’s also a multimedia experience this time around the wheel as I’m using acrylic, gouache, ink, watercolor, and wax and oil based pencils. and working on both sides of translucent material, which is a trip. Takes some getting used to, learning what works and what doesn’t.