Sun Tarot 2018

James Jean’s ‘Sun Tarot’ shimmers like a dream, rendered in flat planes of color, somewhere between illustration and vision. I imagine him, brush in hand, teasing out the figure from a dark ground with lines as smooth as silk. I can't help thinking about what it might have been like to create this scene. How it all began with the underpainting, then the layering of orange, blue, and pink? Was it spontaneous or meticulously planned? I notice the stylized way he paints flowers, not like real botanicals, but more like graphic symbols that carry an emotional punch. It reminds me of a conversation with one of my artist friends about how they use flowers as metaphors. The golden beams shooting across the picture plane add a touch of magic, almost like a comic book effect. Ultimately, what feels so compelling is the way that James creates an entire atmosphere with such a minimal vocabulary. It makes me want to grab my paints and get lost in a similar world-building, with no idea where I'll end up.