Swept Up

I've used this week for some major preparation. I've taken apart, and rebuilt my studio several times. I searched for all artwork that has yet to be photographed or scanned. I set up huge bright lights and photographed all art that I found. I made lists, inventories, descriptions and I've taken down sizes. I've let a lot of artwork pile up and I'm excited to finally have everything listed in the shop on Monday! 

I haven't been posting too much here on the blog while I've been so busy. 

I've really let myself get swept up with my work.. and I love it. 

Big Major Arcana Tarot Update

So I made a big decision the other day. I decided to update the Major Arcana a bit. This entire Tarot deck has been taking me WAY longer than I expected, and since I started I noticed my style has changed quite a bit! Without even realizing it, or meaning to... It started to evolve. The Major Arcana is very very important in Tarot and I wanted it all to look concise. I had a feeling that I would be changing a few things in the Major Arcana, which is why I only sold limited edition prints. I had a feeling I would update it and change it. And I'm happy that I did. I'm totally in love with the new cards. They look more mature and pretty.. rather than cute as they looked first. So I'm happy with the changes.

The changes aren't too noticeable until you look at two cards together. But I'm so much happier with the major arcana than I was. I have 3 more suits to work on before it will officially be printed. When I'm on my last suit I will set up a kickstarter or indie go-go campaign and take preorders!

If you were one who bought one of the 5 limited edition prints of the Major arcana, you will get a discount code for the second edition of the Major Arcana print run. I'm not sure when that will be.. as I still have a few to work on.

Let me know what you think of the changes!


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A New Feeling of Nostalgia

I'm not a nostalgic person. Sure I miss people, and some things, and pets who have crossed. But I'm not that sentimental or nostalgic. Sterling has this box of memories.. he keeps it in his closet to go through some days, but can't seem to throw anything away from it. He goes through it reliving the memories and showing me old photos and tokens he has kept. I of course will never make him throw any of this away, and I sit and listen to his stories from it.. But I don't have this box. I have nothings from my childhood or pictures for that matter. It hasn't bothered me too much.
It's made life easy to not be nostalgic. I keep the house clutter free and am a fast packer. I throw things away easily and don't miss them. There is no right or wrong way to be. I can count on Sterling to hold onto the important things in his box.
But lately I've been feeling this weird sense of nostalgia. I got onto my facebook page and scrolled through my own photos. I noticed I used to go on adventures and take photos very often. It's true I've been working a lot since I moved, and before I moved I was also busy.. but boy do I need to find the time to fulfill this sense of adventure and keep posting photography. I've missed it soooo much. Looking at the photos today brought me back to a time I felt very clear, refreshed, happy and at peace. Those feelings of nostalgia were tied to being out in nature, taking photographs. It didn't matter if it was cold or hot. I still got out once a week. I carried my big SLR with me everywhere and used it all the time. I didn't rely on iphone photos like I do now.... so something has got to change.
Here are some of the photos that brought back this new sense of nostalgia...

I've also noticed an increasing desire to dye my hair to it's natural brown color. This makes me so nervous. That's a bold color for me! I've had pink, white, purple, teal, hot pink, lavender, and blue hair for the past two years. And I've loved it! But this last month I've been looking at myself, and it no longer feels right. I have a sense of nostalgia for my natural hair. My natural hair is curly, wavy and brown. It's usually a lighter mousy brown but I enjoy putting a darker wash in it. I've really missed this. I think I started to notice this desire for my natural hair the other day when I was brushing my purple hair. I noticed little pieces of the ends falling off. Not being able to handle the harsh chemicals any longer. I use so many deep conditioners and try to treat my hair very well for all the processing it's been going through, but it just can't keep up!

And I'm scared. I'm scared because I've had this look for so long.. what if I'm only liked because of my pink hair? What if no one will ever notice me again?? (Leo moon speaking here...) Like these things are actually scaring me! I know they shouldn't... but this is a big change for me! Sterling tells me I will look beautiful no matter what, but I'm nervous that's just boyfriend talk.

Anyways.. I'm feeling very called to go back to this natural color..  so I'm going to follow it. As well as bring my camera with me wherever I go like I used to. Capturing moments, landscapes and memories. Because this year FLEW by. And I only have a few good pictures of it.

And if you are wondering why I have been so distant lately... I haven't really been distant. I've been glued to photoshop stitching together the Tree Talker Tarot deck. It's consumed my entire week.
Each card will have a small border, but they will also match up into a story for each suit. It was a small idea I had at the time, and WOW has it been tricky to do.

I've been invited to go to a theme park tonight by my little sister and her husband.. so I will be closing the computer, and picking up the camera to start following this sense of nostalgia. Let's see where this takes me.



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Tree Talker Tarot Update

Yes! The Tarot Deck is still happening! I've been soooo caught up with moving, teaching, readings.. the list goes on. Story of my life this last month am I right?! It seems every post starts off this way and I'm sorry. But I really am working on this here Tarot Deck. It's taken way longer than I thought it would.. which of course is also what I've been saying on the blog. I hit a block with the Court Cards of the Wands.

Obviously it was a block to creativity, especially because that's what the Suit of Wands represents. I drew out the Page of Wands, then decided to start over, then threw out the second try, and started a third one... half way through the third one I went back to finish the first one.
It took several weeks to get to the point of being okay with that card. I may even try a fourth time! But I decided to move on to The Knight of Wands and The Queen of Wands.

Here are some really rough photos from my sketchbook.. There is still so much to do on them! But I thought I would do an update on the project and let everyone know.. it's still happening!

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The Day I Spoke MY Truth

First of all, thank you so much to everyone for your support. Thank you to those who listened to it live yesterday! I felt the support, but I really had no idea anyone would even listen.. after the show I was astounded to hear all the responses from those who actually listened! I guess it was good to not think anyone was listening! Anyways.. THANK YOU! I get sooo much support through the internet. It is so heart warming to me... If you didn't get a change to listen to the show... I have a recording for you at the bottom of this post!

Yesterday was totally awesome. Sterling was able to get the day off so he could support me during the radio show. I don't always feel like I have a lot of physical support.. and when I say that, I mean someone here to sit by me while I say the random things I say, or someone to drive me around and sit next to me. Not that it's needed, but it's nice to have someone there to help make me feel comfortable at all times. I don't have a lot of physical friends...

Anyways.. Yesterday was awesome.

We arrived perfectly on time, but I was noticeably terrified. I didn't know what to expect, but when Paul Duane arrived and shook my hand I felt better. I told him I was nervous and he laughed and shrugged it off which calmed my nerves quite a bit.

 I sat down in the seat I was to sit in for the next couple of hours and adjusted to the room. Suddenly I knew I could handle it. By the end of the show I was a little sad it was over and felt silly for being so nervous! It was a lot of fun, and we ended up discussing some things that I hadn't even considered we would talk about. What was nice, is the conversation we had on the air, was so similar to the conversations Sterling and I have daily. We talked about religion, manifesting what we want, the Law of Attraction, signs and symbols in life, and the guidance we seek from the Universe, others and ourselves. We talked about my work, how I started Talk2thetrees, and what I'm doing currently.. with a focus on my Tarot reading. We even had a caller call in and ask where I get my evidence for the Tarot and my spiritual views, as there is no scientific evidence that this stuff "works." My response was that there really is no scientific evidence for any one's religion, and the evidence is in the feeling. If someone feels good after a reading, or they feel that spiritual connection then that's all the "evidence" anyone really needs. No one goes to church because there is scientific evidence of their god, or their own salvation... they do it by how it makes them feel. That's evidence enough.

My voice felt very very shaky, even though I was no longer nervous... But the thought kept coming to my mind... Speak your Truth, even if your voice shakes. 

One of my biggest fears was that I would sound like a crazy person, like a crazy mystical fortune teller with a spooky voice and no credible sources. I don't think it was a fear necessarily.. but I feel that I wouldn't be listened to or understood if I were to come across this way. But, I was told from several people that I came across as intelligent and knowledgeable. I didn't sound shaky or nervous or completely crazy. I sounded put together and reliable.. which is exactly as I wanted to come across. 

To be honest, you could come over to my house and see that crazy mystical fortune teller... I have several tarot decks, skulls, crystal balls, altars, and all sorts of mystical things... but that's not what defines me. I love the dark and mystical, but I do believe in the Truth behind it. I do read, and learn and have theories that back things up... so it was wonderful to hear from those who listened that I sounded like I knew what I was talking about. 

Which I think was the biggest thing I learned about yesterday.. to trust myself and the knowledge that I've learned. I don't claim to know the entire truth about life.. I do not claim that any religion is right, or any one way of spirituality is better than the other, but I do know what my Truth is.. 

and how it makes me feel. 

Which is the "evidence" anyone needs for their beliefs... How does it make you feel. 

 I feel that yesterday was a success. It was a lot of fun, and a wonderful experience. 

Here is a little bit about the interview from Paul Duane's website. 

Click here if you want to listen to the interview.. 

You can hear me talk about my art, my experience going from a girl who played the sims in a shitty marriage to what I am now..as well as a lot of talk about Tarot, how it works and why I believe it. 

I also took part in his "Three Things"project. 

The Three Things that I would want to share the world. 

These are the 3 truths I would want to share with the world.

We do create our reality, and you can make yours as magical as you want! 

Don't play the victim. Life can get hard as other's realities mix with yours... but don't develop a wounded spirit about it and end up ruining your own magical reality. 

And start your day with a 20 second smile. It trains your brain and releases endorphins to make you happy. Plus you usually end up laughing at yourself. 

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Controlled Chaos

Last week I pulled an all nighter to finish this painting for the LTD Art Gallery.  The painting will be featured in the Fantasy in the City Show in Seattle. It opens in a few days, and I was kind of putting off working on the painting for way too long. So, I pulled an all nighter to finish it, because the next day or so, I had to ship it! I was pretty stressed, and when it came to framing it and filling out forms I came up with the first name I could think of. "Controlled Chaos." I felt like a cliche artist at that point... Hair was a mess from no sleep, paint all over me, stressed, frazzled and I had to come up with a name. So I picked a pretty cliche style name for the painting, but it seriously fits! 

The stars are done in a chaotic fashion. I love painting galaxies. Each little star is painted on, but in no order. I get to kind of go crazy with the stars. It's fun, and turns out beautifully chaotic. But those little city lights? They had to be roughly the same size, distanced equally, and very controlled. But, when looking at it, it looks rather chaotic. 

As cliche as the name is, it fits.

In the last post, I mentioned how I bought myself new paint.. In college I was using a slightly cheaper brand, and never really evolved to a more professional brand. I know that the materials don't make the artist, like the oven or stove doesn't make a chef, or the camera doesn't make a photographer... but it certainly helps.
I decided to upgrade my paint, painting station, and even my art boxes. I store all of my painting gear in vintage or antique boxes so when they are closed they still match my house. (I'm a genius, I know.)
Upgrading my paint has been fun, because in life upgrades happen that mark a new chapter in life.. Sometimes it comes in the form of a better working car, or a bigger house... for me, this new chapter is coming from new paint, mediums, and brushes.
I can't wait to get to know this paint more, but as I stated yesterday.. I'm trying to get back to that Tarot Deck of mine! (And a few other special projects)
Coincidentally, the card I'm working on is the 4 of Wands. New chapters, celebrations, gifts, good news, and abundance especially of the creative nature. The card for balance, harmony and completion.

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