The Peculiar Pathways Tarot Deck - Lennox Rees (Kickstarter 2024, import)

**The Peculiar Pathways Tarot** is a unique deck designed by Lennox Rees, combining traditional Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) symbolism with the artist's creative vision. Each card is meticulously crafted using digital collage techniques, drawing from historical motifs and public domain antique paintings that have been manipulated to fit the deck’s theme. 

The cards measure 7 cm x 12 cm and are printed on 350 gsm art paper with a matte UV coating. The edges are finished in a matte color, likely to match the maroon backs of the cards. The deck is designed to be both durable and aesthetically pleasing, offering either a smooth or linen finish.

This tarot deck is the culmination of over two years of creative work, with intricate details woven into each card. The backgrounds are designed to flow from one card to the next, creating a narrative journey through the deck. This thoughtful design encourages deeper exploration of the symbolic meanings within each card, making it suitable for both seasoned tarot readers and newcomers.

Please note, as each deck is handmade, slight variations in design may occur.

The Creative Concept

You are walking down a path, a trail, an open road, whatever visual resonates with you. As you're walking down this pathway, you can turn to your left or to your right and pull away at the flora and fauna in that immediate area and get a glimpse of an out-of-this-world scene. Some scenes feel like a giant end boss in the a video game. Some feel like a serene environment you'd want to settle down in. Or some even feel like a quirky, whacky world with made up equipment and happenings à la Alice in Wonderland and Peter Rabbit.

Each card is its own individual world yet are still connected on this peculiar journey. The familiarity of the RWS is showcased through the skies, landscapes, and colors. If there's a red cloak in an original RWS card, the red is highlighted through flowers in the framing elements in this deck. There's many minor connections and details that are to be found amongst the collage art. The creative choices made align with the RWS so that reference materials are still applicable to this deck--whether that's the original meaning of the card and/or the imagery and symbols. While other symbols outside of the traditional RWS cards can be referenced in the deck's artist supplement book or other sources on symbology.

The deck is certainly rooted in a nature and animal based setting. There are no human figures except a skeleton or statue. This is the world my imagination wanders to and what excites me visually. Imagination is the key to creativity, and that's what I love about this deck so much. The escape it allowed my creativity to run wild and free to create without judgment and allow ideas to flow intuitively. 

The Artwork

The artwork is digital collage just like Coastal Curiosities. My heart, soul, and creativity has been poured into every piece on every card. There are no shortcuts to creativity. My creative process remains the same whether digital or analog work. The hunt and gather of collage is what excites, inspires, and develops my artwork. Digital does not mean easy, quick, or simple. In fact, my digital collages are more complex than my handmade collages. There is no "one-click" solution in digital illustration. 

This is all from my human brain, my human heart, and my human soul. My fingers are clicking and moving and swapping endless pieces of imagery. My eyes are scrolling over endless pieces of imagery trying to find what pops out at me to select and try over and over again. My heart pouring into every piece laid into compositions. Endless time researching and referencing each RWS card and corresponding symbolism. Endless time searching for new image sources. The hours I have devoted to this deck is endless. This was a process over two years of thinking, tinkering, and creating. And I loved (almost) every second of it!

Each card background is an antique painting from the public domain. These have been edited and manipulated to various degrees. If you look closely and slowly at each background, the following backgrounds in the next cards are the next step in the journey. For example, if you were walking through the Ace of Wands, you would pass the castle in the background and travel to the hills leading you to the elevated view of the Two of Wands. This is how I created and see the backgrounds flowing together. While it may not be obvious and clear in every card, with a little imagination, you'll see it. :)

I really hope you love the worlds I've crafted into these cards.

The Cards

• 2.75" x 4.75" 
• 350 gsm art paper
• Matte UV coating
• Smooth or linen finish
  Haven't made the final decision yet
• Matte color edges
  Probably the maroon color of the backs

I'm really excited about the cardstock! This will be different than the cardstock used for Coastal Curiosities. The matte UV coating is the kind that gives that "scratchy" sound when you rub the cards together. Not sure another way to describe it. Very matte. Very durable. 

There's a handful of cards I'm still working on. Some you see only have a background, or some have a background and a single image. Maybe some feel a little emptier than others. Overall, I'm going back through and adding more details to the black & white imagery, like some of those cut out glowing yellow shapes or more adornments. The Majors were the first batch of cards I started designing two years ago, so those I'm also going through and adjusting some of the compositions and pieces used that may no longer flow as well as the newer cards I've designed.

As a friendly reminder, Kickstarter is not a "pre-order store." We're all here in this together because we believe in the project. I'm about 85-90% completed with the designs, and that's where the beauty of Kickstarter comes in—to support the creative process and production of the deck!

The Majors

The big moments. The big shifts. The big thoughts. I love how powerful the majors feel. Like a video game boss or an enormous sculpture. It takes your breath away for a split second. The awe of what you're witnessing and taking in. 

The Minors

The steps along the way. The micro moments. The daily considerations. I am a huge fan of the minors in a tarot deck. The start to finish story feels special because it is so relatable and mundane. I love making the mundane special.

The Wands

The Cups

The Swords

The Coins

The Box

• Magnetic flap box
• Matte lamination finish
• Full color