The Fool’s Journey with Tarot by Caro

When artist Caroline Clarke first began designing her own deck of tarot cards, she initially thought several years would pass before she held the finished product in her hands. Astonishingly, Clarke completed all 78 cards in less than six months. With her illustrations taking after the traditional Smith-Waite deck, Tarot by Caro, now in its second printing, is enchanting, otherworldly, and adorned with the most regal color palette.

Having studied art history and dance at UC Santa Cruz, Clarke draws inspiration from medieval art, children’s book illustrations, and surrealist visionaries such as the late British-Mexican painter Leonora Carrington. Nevertheless, Clarke’s style is distinctive in its own right. 

What is most striking about her artwork is that your eyes, rather than being drawn to a singular focal point, dance between her use of negative space and over every contour, wiggle, and intricacy in her clashing patterns, whether celestial or floral. With something new to notice in every glance, her attention to detail naturally lends itself well to tarot, which mystics and newbies from all corners of the world turn to in an effort to decode the woes and wonders of life.