Orla Bird Tarot Interview
Your New Favorite Tarot Deck!
I am so thrilled to have interviewed Orla from Orla Bird Tarot. You may have seen their beautiful artwork on Instagram or through my pictures of the tarot spreads I share. Early this year I came across Orla’s work from a tarot friend of mine who started posting pictures of Orla’s first deck Avisomnia deck. Immediately I was captivated by the colors of the cards and the unique illustration style. When I found out that Orla had a new tarot deck arriving this year called Rosa Obscura, I knew I had to buy it immediately when it was available. Fast forward many months later and the deck is now in my had and one of my favorite tarot decks in my collection. Below I had the honor of interviewing Orla to talk about Rosa Obscura and so much more! Enjoy this interview and make sure you watch my unboxing video of this deck and snag yourself a copy of Rosa Obscura in the links below! - Majorie
Hi Orla, can you please introduce yourself, share your zodiac sign, and a bit of your background as an artist?
I am an illustrator, designer and artist from Zagreb, Croatia, Europe. Before embarking on this artistic journey, I obtained a Master’s Degree in Architecture in 2014 and worked as an architect for six years, but my current profession gives me so much more creative freedom. I’m a Leo sun, Sagittarius moon, and Cancer rising.
Who are some of your biggest creative influences that have shaped you as an artist?
My influences evolve as my creations change, but I have to admit that I don’t extensively study other artists’ work. Instead, I rely much more on other sources of inspiration like the natural world and my dreams. However, three influences I’d like to mention are Leonora Carrington, Hieronymus Bosch, and the Codex Seraphinianus, a mysterious illustrated encyclopedia of an imaginary world by Luigi Serafini.
I am Croatian as well and my family immigrated to America in the early 20th century. I still have relatives there and I hope to visit one day soon. When I saw you were Croatian as well, I was really excited! I am very curious what the Croatian art scene is like and how does Croatia inspire your work and life as an artist?
I’m glad to hear that you also have Croatian roots! Well, I don’t want to sound overly negative, but making a living as an artist in Croatia is not very common. We have a rich and diverse history of over 1,000 years in art, crafts, and architecture, and Croatia is a wonderful place to explore that heritage. But I don’t feel that we currently have a very developed art scene. Perhaps it's because I don’t have a formal education in art, which means I lack many acquaintances who are able to make a living as artists and with whom I could exchange experiences. Additionally, my work is a unique combination of art, illustration, and design, so I’ve had to carve my own path and find unique ways to monetize my passion. While our government’s top priority definitely isn’t funding culture, I’ve noticed that more art hubs and craft markets are being organized by groups of enthusiasts, and I have faith that the art scene will continue to develop in the future.
When did tarot and divination come into your life and how did it inspire you to create your own tarot decks?
My interest primarily lies in the field of illustration and in exploring how to depict concepts, feelings, and ideas through symbolic meaning. I’m not a tarot reader, although I do read tarot for myself. People often assume that if I’m creating tarot decks, I also offer readings, but that’s not the case. There’s a distinction between studying the symbolism of each card in depth and trying to communicate those ideas through illustrations, and on the other hand, making a connection with the person sitting across from you - connecting the dots and weaving a story from the cards drawn in a reading. For me, tarot is a wonderful playground for my art practice.
Can you share the inspiration behind the name Orla Bird?
When I was born, my parents named me Orla, only to later change it to Dora. Orla translates to 'female eagle,' and when I started my career in illustration, I decided to use it as my artist alias. Some friends even call me Ptica, which means 'bird' in Croatian.
What inspired you to create your new tarot deck, Rosa Obscura?
I’m a crazy plant lady, with around 100 plants in my apartment. As I mentioned earlier, I love symbolism in art. In my 1st tarot deck - Avisomnia, I included imaginary, stylized plants, but in this deck, I wanted to go a step further by incorporating real-world plants that carry specific meanings. Rosa Obscura is based on the Victorian language of flowers, where plants served as a language of love, expressing affection, indifference, or disdain. I assigned a different plant species to each card, carefully considering the card's meaning.
What was the artistic process like for Rosa Obscura and how did it differ from the creation of your first tarot deck, Avisomnia?
Assigning a meaning to every card was the most tedious part of the process, and I was so relieved when it was finally done. I keep a separate sketchbook for each major project, allowing me to work out the details of every visual. Once that phase is complete and I have a definitive vision for each card, I draw the illustrations by hand on a format that’s two to three times larger than the final card dimensions. It’s crucial for me to have all the visuals sketched out before creating the final illustrations, as this ensures the illustrations tell a coherent story. Simultaneously, I write explanations for the visuals that will be included in the booklet. After several months, once the illustrations are complete, I scan them in high quality, add colors and textures digitally, and prepare the cards, booklet, and box for production. The processes for creating Avisomnia and Rosa were quite similar, and this time, it was much easier.
What artistic tools or mediums do you use to create your tarot decks?
I draw everything by hand. First, I create a sketch with pencil and then proceed with black fineliners. After that, I scan the illustrations and add colors and textures digitally.
How long did it take you to create Rosa Obsura?
It took me about a year and a half to complete, just like Avisomnia. I believe I could finish it in 4 or 5 months if I could work uninterrupted, but since I have other projects going on, I sometimes have to put the tarot project on hold.
Were there any challenges or road bumps when creating this deck or was the process very effortless and smooth?
My engineering mindset helps me a lot with envisioning the final product and anticipating potential issues, allowing me to avoid major mistakes. However, creating a deck is a huge, time-consuming project, and there was a point where I struggled with motivation, even though I knew I would eventually finish it.
I absolutely love the muted color palate for Rosa Obscura. What inspired the color direction for this deck?
Thanks a lot! I’m obsessed with the muted turquoise color featured in the Avisomnia deck, so I knew I had to avoid repeating myself and create something a bit different for Rosa Obscura. This deck has an earthy color palette that, in my opinion, complements the botanical theme nicely. However, as my style evolves, I’d like to experiment with more vivid colors in the future.
What is your favorite card in Rosa Obscura?
While I have a few cards that are very dear to me, such as The Empress, The Wheel of Fortune, Six of Swords, Seven of Cups and Seven of Pentacles, my favorite is Death. The plant featured in this card is Lycoris radiata, known as the flower of the afterlife. It symbolizes the moment a person reaches the end and passes on their energy to other forms of life. The flower helps decompose the body, while the Ouroboros symbols on the figure represent the never-ending cycle of life and death. I was very satisfied with how I managed to capture the notion of transcendence and letting go.
What was the most challenging card or tarot suite for you to create in Rosa Obscura?
I struggled the most with the court cards conceptually, but I had no issues when illustrating them. However, the Eight of Cups and Two of Swords took several attempts to get right. Since I do everything by hand, any mistake means I have to start over. While I could correct errors digitally afterward, I prefer to maintain a collection of original illustrations without any mistakes.
How do you incorporate your tarot decks into your personal practice?
I like to use a tarot deck as an introspective tool rather than a divinatory one. I usually draw three cards and approach it as if I’m having a conversation with a friend.
When you finished Rosa Obscura, how did you feel afterwords and did you do anything to celebrate the deck being completed?
When the end is in sight, I always plan to celebrate and rest. However, when the time
comes, I often struggle to give myself permission to take a break and usually just start or resume one of my other projects instead.
How do you manage your time as an artist and tarot deck creator with an artistic business? What are some of the challenges and benefits?
When I started out in 2020, I thought I would have much more time for making illustrations, exploring different art mediums and creating in general. However, I’d say that 70% of my workday is dedicated to business tasks: invoices, emails, packing orders, customer support, taking product photos, updating my online shop, shopping for supplies and so on. There are times when a month or two go by and I realize I haven’t drawn anything—and I’m an illustrator? That might sound odd, but I genuinely enjoy every part of the process because I can see how everything falls into place and enables me to earn a solid income. Sometimes, I even look forward to those menial tasks, as being creative all the time is simply unrealistic.
Any advice you can give those who are interested in creating their own tarot or oracle decks?
I had considered making a course on creating a tarot deck because it’s such a complex process, and I’m only scratching the surface with these suggestions:
One of the most important things is to ensure the deck has coherent visuals. I’m instantly put off by decks that look like they were made by several different artists - unless that's part of the concept - or that use multiple art styles. Keeping a sketchbook helps a lot, and I strongly advise making sketches of all the cards before starting any final work.
Another key point is to be mindful of the final proportions of the visuals on each card. If you don’t take that into account, you might end up with a beautiful illustration but a lot of blank space on the actual card.
Lastly, do your research before committing to a printing company. Ask for samples, consider what type of cardstock you want and make a prototype. While it can be expensive, receiving a large order of tarot decks with errors will cost you even more.
Who are some of your favorite Croatian artist or witches that you would love to give a shout out to?
I’d like to mention a couple of famous Croatian artists I admire: Ivan Rabuzin (1921-2008), a renowned naïve artist and Vanja Trobić (born 1987), a painter from the younger generation known for her unique combinations of abstract and figurative styles, as well as her interesting textures and use of collage. I’d also like to take this opportunity to mention my friends from the Croatian art scene, with whom I share my struggles. Here are their Instagram handles:
@mka.keramika - ceramic artist from Argentina, based in Croatia.
@garoful_ - Croatian jewelry designer who experiments with plants, brass and epoxy resin.
@ivanacastellano_ - illustrator and designer from Argentina, based in Croatia
@feather.nin – Croatian artist who specializes in jewelry and embriodery on clothes.
Anything currently inspiring you like music, film, art, etc. that you are excited about?
I’m currently reading The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell and listening to Elliott Smith and Aldous Harding. I often find inspiration in my dreams, but this time is different. With the change of seasons, I’ve been experiencing severe fatigue, I’ve been sleeping a lot and I’ve drawn inspiration from the different sensations of various levels of sleep. For instance, in the hypnagogic state, I felt lulled to slumber by what I perceived as a God of Sleep, which motivated me to create a few larger watercolor paintings. I plan to share them on my main Instagram account (@orla_bird), but I haven’t gotten around to it yet because I’ve been sleeping too much!
Are you creating anything exciting now that you would like to share?
This year, I designed undated planners featuring my illustrations and even created a separate Instagram account for them (@orla_bird_notes) because the audience is definitely different from my tarot followers. I feel more productive and less stressed thanks to the planning methods I’ve been developing for a decade. This year, I finally decided to design and order a larger number of planners that I hope will help others with mind decluttering and productivity.
Additionally, those watercolor paintings I mentioned could be the foundation for a new oracle deck. While I’m not actively working on it yet, I feel it brewing in the background of my mind. I envision it as an oracle deck for creativity, featuring prompts that pose questions and provide guidance, regardless of the form of expression someone is engaged in.
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