Mind Body & Soul Ezine Reviews: Lynda Stevens

Tuesday 27 February 2024

Lynda Stevens - An Interview

Introducing my readers to Lynda Stevens. Please tell us something about yourself Lynda: "I work as an artist and am engaged in creating abstract mixed-media works on canvas using materials ranging from glass fragments, clay and paper with acrylic, and metal foil, in layered landscapes. I work on paper too, creating collages. I see this path as a constant search 'for the pearl of Great Price', an image of wonder and beauty.

"My first degree was in English and Italian literature, but I graduated in 198 and there were 500 graduates to every job! I used my time to get two further qualifications in Art and I am actively involved in the 'alternative' Budapest scene where I exhibit with a group of life drawers, and take part in monthly creative events in the ruined pubs here, and I work outside with the Budapest Montmartre group in the summer.

"While still in the UK, I had a strong interest in all things esoteric, although that was not an easy road to take: not everyone I encountered was a sheep in sheep's clothing, and not all groups of love and light that I encountered were as full of love and light! I did take course in Astrology and for a brief period worked at psychic fayres with a little help from a pocket computer, as well as working with cards. In the late 80's I attended some excellent tarot workshops in London, whereI got the inspiration for creating a set of Tarot cards.

"I created these using 'caran d'ache' colour pencils on A6 card, and pen and ink for the outlines. It was semi-abstract and was once described as an 'art deco' style. Since then, many cards have been redrawn and revised.

"My cards borrow from what I know of astrology and the elements for the Minors, with Princes and Princesses for Knights and Pages. I borrowed from several places, such as Carl Jung, the Neoplatonism of John Mitchell, and the anthropology of Sir James George Frazer, with later interpretations from Riane Eisler. I used a paradigm described by Alfred Douglas in which the Majors are described the Fool's Gnostic Fall into the World of Illusions. With this story there is a reintegration in the here and now. That is why I had no compunction in drawing the Emperor as a tyrant for example, which one or two critics have not appreciated. Conversely my Empress describes an earlier sense of unity with Nature, where the Great Mother ruled supreme, before the rise of the city state. The hope is, this old gnosis, as Rózsák called it, might be retained.

"A second bad recession in the UK prevented full self employment and a series of other losses made it easier to leave the UK after completing a basic Tesol course and arrriving in Budapest to live full time. Recently, I have joined a Facebook page for Tarot Card Deck Creators and someone there very kindly showed me how to use Photoshop. I am evening out my borders and redoing the old-fashioned typesetting on my cards. Three of my cards will be featured on the Taschen Encyclopaedia of Esoterica."

Here are some links to Lynda's profile pages:

Her website at www.LyndaStevens.com showcases her work.

Gamecrafter: https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/the-chalice-tarot-deck

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Product-Service/The-Chalice-Tarot-Deck-157967314278217/

Behance: https://www.behance.net/nexus7