Queen of wands

This painting is a part of my Queer Revolution Tarot series. I painted 78 tarot cards based on the themes of traditional decks, but with a gender expansive approach to a traditionally binary categorization. Masculine and feminine are qualities, not bodies, and anybody could embody either or both.

This card represents courage, confidence, independence, and determination. The queen of wands is self-actualized and self-aware—she understands her passions and energy and knows how to channel them to reach her goals. How can you embody this energy? Be bold and courageous; don't be afraid of your own power, not even the power of your shadow self.

The attributes of this card transcend gender, so when choosing a model I gravitated toward someone with a particular aura, not a particular gender. Most of my models identify as queer, and many models are genderqueer. When staging the reference photos, I chose the location, pose, lighting, etc, but always told my models to style themselves, wearing something that made them “feel hot and cool.” I felt like across the deck, this would aesthetically show the broad spectrum of gender expression.

Energetic and creative self-actualization comes with balance. There is tension between warmth and coolness in the painting; the figure glows against a stark backdrop. Sunflowers stand boldly against the structure of the fence and the dead grass. Shadows glow red, balancing the flames at the top of the painting.