Following My Intuition, Exploring Tarot
There is something truly special about group exhibitions. As an artist, I spend the majority of my time alone, creating in my own little world. When the opportunity for a guest show comes around, it is a welcome break to try something completely different from what I normally gravitate towards.
Miller Gallery’s new group exhibition, Intuition, is one that I particularly welcomed with open arms. I was excited to find a way to express my style on an entirely new subject matter, outside of food.
“On the 2021 Spring Equinox we invite you to listen to your Intuition while viewing 25 interpretations of the Major and Minor Arcana. This day has been viewed as the turning point in the celestial life cycle since Ancient Times. With the pandemic forcing people to look inward, Tarot card use has seen its biggest resurgence since gaining popularity in the 18th century. What do these images mean? How do we interpret them in today’s society? 25 artists were assigned a Tarot card and an 11” x 14” panel to intuitively depict their card.”
- Sarah Miller Gelber, owner of Miller Gallery
My assigned card was The Fool. I wanted to paint something I’d always thought about painting but never had. It was a rooster that kept calling me, with their colorful feathers and quirky personalities. I imagined the banjo playing rooster for Disney's Robin Hood, which has always felt to me like their interpretation of a jester. I was inspired by that character's carefree lighthearted presence to capture the idea of The Fool.
"To see the The Fool generally means the beginning of a new journey, one where you will be filled with optimism and freedom from the usual constraints in life. When we meet him, he approaches each day as an adventure, in an almost childish way. He believes that anything can happen in life and there are many opportunities that are lying out there, in the world, waiting to be explored and developed."
As you can see above, there were many versions as this painting came to life. As an illustrator who is reliant on reference images, it’s out of my comfort zone to paint entirely from my imagination. I knew I wanted to piece to be whimsical so I was hesitant to nail down any bit reality. Once I figured out the layout of the rooster’s environment, things started to fall into place.
While it is important to be happy with the final piece, I feel the most gratification from working through what was frankly pretty frustrating, not knowing how to resolve the composition. I hope that seeing this glimpse of behind the scene demonstrates the struggle and dialogue that can happen when creating a work of art.
“It’s through mistakes that you actually can grow. You have to get bad in order to get good. ”