Colour as an Emotional Language
In tarot, colour is a form of symbolic communication. Each hue is tied to an archetype, an energy, or a state of being. Red signals awakening or disruption. Blue evokes intuition and dream logic. Green carries secrecy and inner knowledge. Yellow radiates clarity and spiritual warmth. In my surreal work, I turn to these same chromatic principles to shape psychological depth. Colour becomes the silent narrator of the portrait—subtle, intuitive, and emotionally grounded.
Red as Catalyst and Emotional Heat
Tarot often uses red to signify urgency, desire, and transformation. It appears in archetypes like the Magician and the Tower, where energy either rises into agency or collapses into revelation. In my palette, red is a pulse. It may sit at the edge of a botanical form or glow softly within a cheek, creating a sense of internal pressure or emotional ignition. The presence of red hints at something awakening within the figure—movement beneath stillness, intensity held inside calm.
Blue as Intuition and Psychic Drift
Blue in tarot belongs to the realm of the subconscious. It flows through the Moon, shaping an atmosphere of vulnerability, reflection, and dream-space. In my portraits, blue often forms the emotional air around the figure. Its softness introduces distance, inviting the viewer to step more slowly into the image. This colour quiets the composition and opens it to interpretation. Blue is not sadness; it is sensitivity. It is the part of the inner world that whispers instead of speaks.
Green as Mystery and Inner Knowing
Green is closely tied to the High Priestess, the guardian of intuition and hidden realms. In tarot, it suggests perception beneath the surface. In my palette, green often appears as a glowing acid tone—bright, slightly uncanny, and intuitively charged. Its presence signals that the emotional landscape is layered and enigmatic. A botanical form tinged with green becomes a symbol of instinct, an emotional truth rising from shadow. Green is the colour of what cannot be explained yet feels unmistakably present.
Yellow as Illumination and Warm Insight
Yellow is the most revealing of tarot colours. It belongs to the Sun—clarity, wholeness, and radiant consciousness. In my work, yellow appears in gentle glows: the heart of a petal, the centre of a luminous seed, or the subtle highlight of the face. It creates a point of orientation within the portrait, a moment of understanding inside the surreal environment. Yellow tempers the depth of blue and softens the tension of red, offering emotional balance. It appears like a small awakening at the centre of the composition.
Chromatic Interplay as Emotional Architecture
When tarot colours interact, their meanings expand. Red beside blue creates conflict between heat and introspection. Green within shadow hints at a shift in perception. Yellow rising through cool tones suggests clarity emerging from uncertainty. In my surreal portraits, this chromatic interplay becomes a structural element. The colours do not just coexist; they negotiate with one another. Their relationships shape the emotional architecture of the image, guiding the viewer through layers of feeling.
Botanical Forms as Carriers of Colour Magic
Botanicals in my work often hold the most vivid chromatic symbolism. Petals that glow with red may suggest a rising internal force. Leaves infused with green signal intuitive movement. A seed lit by yellow becomes a spark of clarity, while blue shadows beneath botanical folds evoke emotional distance. These forms act as vessels for tarot’s symbolic colours, giving them a physical presence that feels organic and emotionally alive.
Surrealism as a Modern Vessel for Tarot Symbolism
While my artwork is not designed as tarot illustration, it naturally aligns with tarot’s colour mysticism. Surrealism thrives on intuitive meaning, emotional ambiguity, and symbolic depth—precisely the qualities that make tarot imagery resonate across time. By using colour as a spiritual and psychological tool, my portraits become emotional landscapes shaped by archetypal tones. The hues carry the same ancient logic, yet they live inside a contemporary visual language.
Chromatic Magic as Emotional Truth
Tarot teaches that colour reveals what words cannot. Modern surreal art does the same. Through intuitive palettes, soft glows, and shifting tonal contrasts, my work aims to express emotion at a depth beneath narrative. Colour becomes the medium of truth—quiet, atmospheric, and rooted in inner experience. It allows the portrait to speak the language of intuition, creating a connection that feels both mystical and deeply human.
