Upcoming Artists - Kerri McIntire

How do you define yourself as an artist and what is it that you do?

Cemetarot Nine of SwordsA collage artist comes closest. I combine my original photography with pressed botanics and present it in a glass clip-frame. With the CemeTarot © deck I took a format that I had used in creating talking boards and pendulum guides and applied it to the cards.

Your biography in four lines

I studied both literature and art in school, being most interested in using images to tell a story. As a young adult I worked very inspiring jobs - such as artist's model and animation assistant. I began making the collage art in 2000 under the name Witch Hazel Press. That and InHeritage, the online design and development company I founded with my husband, have kept me happily writing and creating for years now.

How is an idea born? For you what is your inspiration?

Cemetarot Ace of WandsThe idea for making a tarot deck came from my admiration of others who had done it before. I own many decks and am amazed by the different takes on the cards. I was also inspired to create a work of art that people could use as a tool for personal enlightenment.

When do you get your best ideas?

Well, I got the idea for creating a unique line of talking boards and pendulum guides while waiting to be interviewed for jury duty. (Really, jury duty!) I also used to be inspired when I was posing for art classes. Maybe that means my best ideas come out of moments of stillness/silence!

Do you consider yourself postmodern?

With this deck having a cemetery theme, I'm tempted to say I'm more Gothic, but the bright colors keep the cards from looking funerary. I wanted to straddle the line between dark and light. I think I also straddle a line between form and function, as the cards are not only meant to be aesthetic but also useful for guidance.

Which artists do you admire and how do they influence your work?

For this venture I was inspired by other artists who had tackled the tarot. Each card is story, and various artists use their styles to narrate in a unique voice. One of my favorites is Pamela Colman Smith, the woman who illustrated the classic Rider-Waite deck. Her compositions influenced my own photographic choices. This is evident in the cards I selected for this article - the Ace of Wands, the Nine of Swords, the Empress, and the Hanged Man.

Does it sometimes pain you to let go of a work you have sold?

Cemetarot EmpressLuckily, with a tarot deck, I am not selling the originals. But it did used to bother me to part with a talking board or pendulum guide. It was better when I knew it was going home with someone whom I knew would use it with positive intentions.

What made you decide to use the materials that you do?

I just love the way a tendril of a vine or the sweep of a butterfly wing looks when it is pressed against a photograph. Gathering the botanics and images is such fun, too. I began to feel the discovery of a beautiful bug wing or a smattering of late-blooming gardenia was a divine gift, meant to encourage me to create. And walking in old cemeteries looking for that perfect picture is my idea of heaven!

What would you like people to get from your work and art? How would you like to see it used?

I'd like my work to cause people to think about how they connect with their spirituality. I hope I'm offering this in a format that is also visually pleasing. With the tarot I'd like the cards to act as conduits for reflection and ultimately self-awareness. I want them to help people figure out the best way forward in life.

Where would you most like your work to appear?

Cemetarot Hanged ManIt would be neat to see characters on television or in films using my tarot deck. : )

What new things do you have coming up?

If I can see this deck published I want to go on to several other ideas I have for tarot themes. I also hope to spend time promoting this deck in whatever capacity the publisher would like, whether it be going to trade shows or visiting small new-age shops. I look forward to meeting interesting people!

What advice would you give to those just beginning?

Don't be afraid to reach out to people to talk about your project. I am giving this interview right now because I reached out to the Tarot-Lovers site. I also have the possibility of a radio interview. Most exciting is that a potential publisher has connected with me through another blog interview that I've done. My advice is to seek out others who like the things you do and network, network, network!

Do you upload your work to the web? If so, where could we see it?

The CemeTarot deck is available to view on my Witch Hazel Press website: http://www.witchhazelpress.com