Image of the Week: Manifestation
© D. Yael Bernhard
On New Year's Day 2022, I started working on the largest illustration project I've ever done: The Power of the Yin Oracle Deck, an original oracle deck that was conceived, written, and published by author, healer, and movement specialist Daven Lee. There's a whole world of oracle decks out there – some resembling the well-known Tarot, others with completely different themes. This deck consists of 58 illustrations, all of which I painted and designed into the finished cards. The project was finally completed last month, after seventeen months of one of the most unique and enriching collaborations I've experienced in all my years as a professional artist.
Pictured here is the art for one of the cards, titled Manifestation. As soon as I read Daven's text for the back of the card, this image came to mind. Only a few children are shown in the deck, so I decided to create this dark-skinned baby. I love painting dark skin tones, perhaps because of my deep affinity for African art and culture. The infant is held aloft by hands rooted in the earth – born of the earth, iIlluminated by the sun, and crowned by interlaced trees – a child of nature.
The background colors began as an effort to bring sunset colors into the deck, but ended up working beautifully with the subject. I treated the deck as I would a book – as a whole made up of parts. The pages of a book cannot be viewed all at once, but the cards in an oracle deck may be spread out in an arc when the user draws a card. I wanted that arc to be a beautiful rainbow of colors. Each card shows a slightly different combination.
In a way this card represents the manifestation of the deck itself. New ideas, new possibilities arise from this deck that strives to tap into a feminine, intuitive undercurrent. Up from the earthy loam, new life offers itself as a manifestation of the innocent, original self.
These are the thoughts that ran through my mind as I illustrated these cards. What a journey it's been! I'm so grateful for this uniquely creative and deeply satisfying opportunity. I know Daven is, too.
You can order The Power of the Yin Oracle Deck here. By purchasing a deck, you are also invited to become part of an online community. Check it out at yinoracle.com.
A good week to all –
D Yael Bernhard