Tarot Salon!

On a related note to my previous post, this Friday marks the return of our tarot salon to the gallery after a summer hiatus—hope to see you there! Here are the details:

Friday, September 24, 7 – 9:30 pm
TAROT SALON – SEPTEMBER EDITION
Free admission and refreshments.

The gallery’s most popular event! As featured in Time Out New York, the Village Voice, Brooklyn Based, the New York Post and more.

This month, tarot readers will include Goddess Tarot creator Kris Waldherr and New York City’s urban shaman Queen Mama Donna Henes. Massage therapist Fran Dunston will also be in attendance offering massages at $1 a minute. Readings are available on the question of your choice and at a variety of prices. We also have a hauntingly beautiful new exhibit up of photographs by native Siberian photographers. So come have a glass of wine and see what new wisdom the
new season has to offer!

This event takes place at:
Kris Waldherr Art and Words studio-gallery
1501 Newkirk Avenue (entrance on Marlborough Road)
Brooklyn, NY 11226
347-406-5811
click here for directions

• Filed under events, studio and gallery, tarot and oracles | One Response

On the radio with the Tarot Tribe

Last Sunday I was pleased to be Donnaleigh de la Rose’s guest on her inspiring Tarot Tribe radio show. We spent over an hour talking on the phone about my art, my tarot decks, and much more. I especially liked Donnaleigh’s tarot tips feature which offers very concise and artful advice for readers of all skill levels.

Besides chatting about my work, we gave three tarot readings to call-in listeners. For this purpose, I used the Lover’s Path Tarot (aka the Love Tarot app) on my iPhone. So I had Donnaleigh on one phone, my tarot deck on my iPhone—a two phone endeavor. Fun!

As part of my show, I offered two custom tarot spreads. The first spread, the Goddess Circle, was created for the Goddess Tarot iPhone app. It’s meant to offer a meditative examination of your life at this moment. The second, the Lover’s Spread, is an adapted Past-Present-Future layout designed to give quick relationship insight.

If you’d like to listen, the show has been archived here. You can also access the tarot spreads* here.

*Thanks to Catherine Chapman of TarotElements.com for creating the lovely handout!

• Filed under be-mused, events, iPhone apps, tarot and oracles | One Response

Publishing Monday: Out and about with the Queens

Look what Thea* found at our local Barnes and Noble this weekend.

And in good company too.

And with a lovely new back cover, including a blurb from the New Yorker review.

My literary agent had mentioned that Random House would be doing a special promotion for DOOMED QUEENS, but I thought it would be closer to Halloween. So a nice surprise!

*Yes, I probably have the only five-year-old who knows what a Doomed Queen is. Good thing she’s more into princesses!

• Filed under publications, queens, the world around me | No Comments

Creativity Friday: Spoonflower!

A deep, dark secret from my past: I used to sew most of my clothes when I was a mere slip out of art school. Usually these efforts were inspired by favorite paintings. For example, I created a Lady of Shalott dress to wear to a gallery opening. Another time I created a Jane Morris-inspired dress, complete with underdefined waist in a pomegranate-colored cotton. Sometimes I’d wear a stiffly starched petticoat under it for that proper Aesthetic buzz.

These days, my schedule doesn’t allow me to explore this form of creativity—it’s been some years since I’ve sewn something beyond the occasional pillow slipcover or a loose button. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t yearn to. I recently unearthed my sewing machine from the back of a closet and have been staring at it mournfully while watching episodes of Project Runway. I will befriend you again, I vow to it. I promise.

In the meantime I’ve discovered Spoonflower, a wonderful website that makes it possible for artists to design, print and sell their own fabric designs. The custom-printed fabrics are available in a number of weights. My first two designs are up, one which has been entered in their fabric-of-the-week contest—the theme is masks, just in time for Halloween festivities.

Venetian Masks
Design inspired by THE LOVER’S PATH.

Here’s the fun thing: Each Venetian-style mask can be worn. Simply adhere to iron-on backing, cut out, and sew ribbons to each side. The masks can also be decorated with sequins and embroidery as desired to invoke a sumptuous evening on the Grand Canal. Added bonus: this design also works as a large-scale repeat. Great for drapes and upholstery in your private paradiso.

(Psst. If you want to vote for it as fabric of the week, click here.)

Goddesses Galore
Design adapted from THE BOOK OF GODDESSES.

I think the goddesses would make wonderful curtains or pillows, don’t you? Future fabric ideas include a pattern to create goddess dolls and a Doomed Queens repeat pattern complete with tiny guillotines. As you can tell I’m having fun.

You can view my fabric designs on Spoonflower here. So far, only my goddess fabric is available for purchase. You’re required to proof your fabric creation before releasing it to the public—I hope to be able to release the masks fabric in a few days.

Or, if you’re an artist, you can set up your own Spoonflower account to upload your own designs for free. If you do so, let me know—I’d love to see what you create!

• Filed under be-mused, creativity, goddesses, stuff I like | 2 Responses

Oracle du jour: “I can only hear you when I see you.”

I’ve always loved the concept of recognizing oracles within the world around us. Indeed, this heeds back to the example of Erda, the Norse goddess of the earth. Her followers would find guidance from her in the swirls of a cloud formation, or the vehemence of ocean waves.

Though New York City isn’t the most nature-infused location, I’m pleased to stumble upon oracles in unexpected places. For example, a sign at a store recently implored me to “Find Bounty Below.” Sure, they were referring to paper towels, but it did seem an answer to something I was contemplating at that moment—I’ll take divine guidance wherever I can find it.

Anyway, for your contemplative pleasure, as seen yesterday on the deli counter of my local food coop.

Interpret as you see fit.

• Filed under be-mused, tarot and oracles, the world around me | One Response