The Bird People Tarot deck continues to move forward. If I accomplish nothing else in my lifetime, this deck will get done. And it will get printed.

Thought I'd share a little bit of my process with these cards since it's been a bit since I posted last. I do the backgrounds for these cards completely separate from the collage part of the cards. I start to get to know the backgrounds as their own paintings. I do about a dozen or so cards at a time which takes about one to two weeks. After the cards have dried and I feel like they’re “finished”, I put the cards away and don’t look at them for a couple weeks. I usually start working on something completely different so when I take them out again, I can remain objective about which ones stay or go. Then it’s time to concentrate on the collage aspect which requires me to exist in a whole different zone in order to get that part of the cards accomplished. In short, all this takes a lot longer than I’d like it to, but this is how my brain wants it. To overcomplicate everything.

Even though it’s been slow going at times, I’ve learned so much about myself and the art of Tarot while working on this deck which has been a super unexpected reward. Happy summer everyone!

Upright Meanings:
Abundance
Enlightenment
Sincerity
Creative self-expression
Self-control

Reversed Meanings:
Unrewarding
Delusions of grandeur
Bluff, facade
Boasting, bragging
Negative thinking

Upright Meanings:
Self-protective
Ambivalent
Prejudice
Dangerous times
Tension

Reversed Meanings:
Treachery
A duel
Facing your feelings
Decisions made
Renewed action

Upright Meanings:
Feeling trapped
Intellectual imprisonment
Isolation
Slights and insults from all
Constraint

Reversed Meanings:
Release
Overcoming fear
Small success in midst of misfortune
Liberated
Not gullible

Three more Bird People Tarot cards for the interested. I had a thought the other day that if I frame all 78 cards when they’re done, this might make for a good gallery show somewhere in the near future. I’m having heart palpitations thinking about the framing costs for 78 pieces; maybe I do large framed pieces of each Minor Arcana suit, and one large framed piece of all the Major Arcana cards. But somehow bunching up cards in groups like that doesn’t sit well with my OCD whatsoever. First things first, the deck needs to be completed first before visions of grandeur overtake me. Thanks for stopping by and reading my inner dialogue. Please keep well everyone :)

Upright Meanings:
Sound advice
Law and order
Strength of character
Keen intellect
Authority

Reversed Meanings:
Malice
Cosmic law
An unfair decision
Revenge
Cruelty

Upright Meanings:
Lack of focus
Head in the clouds
Temptations
Get rich quick schemes
Speculation

Reversed Meanings:
Clear thinking
Aspirations achieved
Determination
Success comes the second time around
Realism

Upright Meanings:
Self destruction
Anger & Addiction
Jealousy
Resentment
Imprisonment

Reversed Meanings:
Abuse of power
Deceit
A smothering relationship
Disharmony & Pettiness
Great extremes

Three more Bird People tarot cards for today’s Friday! Now that I’m getting closer to finishing this deck, predictable anxiety is surfacing about the very act of being done with something. It’s like the feeling of not working on this deck anymore is the most depressing crushing thing ever and this is when I generally stop working on something all together. Which is probably one of the reasons why I work on a million things at once in the first place. I've done this with TV shows too, refusing to watch the last couple episodes of an entire series because I can’t stand that’s it’s all over. I won't do that to the The Bird People Tarot Deck no matter what my crazy inner dialogue comes up with.

Upright Meanings:
Order
Control
Power
Stability
Confidence

Reversed Meanings:
Self-righteous tyranny
Fallen hero
Lack of progress
Prejudice
Peter Pan Syndrome

Upright Meanings:
Equality
Purposefulness
Apprenticeship
Dedication
Cautious investing

Reversed Meanings:
Cutting corners
Lack of commitment
Dishonesty
Insincerity
Neglectful

Upright Meanings:
Triumph
Good news
Wise decisions
Success
Teamwork

Reversed Meanings:
Defeat
Red tape
Feeling unimportant
A Trojan horse
Hiding your laurels

On Black Friday, it somehow feels appropriate to post three new Bird People Tarot cards.

Pleas enjoy!

Upright Meanings:
Loyal
Midas touch; material realm only
Conservatism
Traditional values
Financial advisor

Reversed Meanings:
Corruption
Weakness
Irrational
Unfortunate
Misery

Upright Meanings:
Awakening
Renewal
Upheaval
Transformation
Breaking with convention

Reversed Meanings:
Fear of change
A forced ending
Procrastination
Alienation
Faint-heartedness

Upright Meanings:
Transformation through willpower
Creative
Talented
Diplomacy
Focused energy

Reversed Meanings:
Weakness of will
Negative
Confused
Selfish behavior
Overconfidence

I know.

It’s been a long while since I’ve poked my head out of my rabbit hole and shown the world what I’ve been working on. Since July, I had been obsessively working on The Museum Series Shorebirds Edition (diorama paintings-19 pieces in that series and far from finished) but about a month ago, I answered to my (probably) undiagnosed ADHD and started refocusing on The Bird People Tarot Deck for a bit. I’ve posted three new cards from the deck, that mark my words, I am finishing in this lifetime(!) With additional big plans of having the deck professionally printed for folks to purchase. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my current work.

Upright Meanings:
Secrets
Mystery
Intuitive awareness
Going with the flow
Good judgement
Reversed Meanings:
Gossip
Disloyalty
Not listening to your inner voice
Insincerity
Coldness

Upright Meanings:
Haste
Journey
Commercial transactions
Full steam ahead
New ideas
Reversed Meanings:
Motionless
Arrows of jealousy
Stings of conscience
Wasted energy
Being too pushy

Upright Meanings:
Self-restraint
Tolerance
Compromise
Moderation
Consoling
Reversed Meanings:
Competition
Mood shifts
Gluttony
Extremism
Frustration