We sat down with Amber from Delicate Realms to find out a little more about this local Fernwood artist
What are your 3 big signs? (Sun, Moon, Rising)
What were you like as a child?
A little bit bossy, introverted, but always had a small group of friends who were down to be weird and creative together. Even though I was kind of shy, I used to love performing in talent shows and musical recitals, both classical piano and acoustic guitar + voice. A fun fact most people don't know about me-- I have a bit of eidetic memory, meaning I can take snapshots in my mind of things in front of me (like pages from textbooks or notes), so school was an absolute breeze academically.
The last jobs I had before starting Delicate Realms in 2021 were managing a gem shop, and working as a landscaper. I still do freelance gardening work on the side of my art biz, as plants are integral to my spirituality and sense of wellbeing.
This seems like a weird question to ask but Why art? Why tarot? Do they overlap into each other for you?
I think they do overlap, in the sense that both art and tarot are used to make meaning out of life's experiences. More and more I'm realizing that this is my deepest passion-- excavating meaning and transmuting experience into beauty, whether through a piece of art or a soulful conversation.
I started exploring oil painting last year and I think it’s my favourite medium to date! It's such a lush sensory experience and very satisfying in its inherent creative process. I would like to prioritize painting more, though I’d say the medium I feel most comfortable and confident working in is drawing, usually with ink pens.
Do you have a favourite tarot card?
That's a hard question! Arcana 8, Strength, sometimes known as Lust, is a very meaningful card for me. Aly at Ophidia Tattoo (@midnightportal) tattooed it on my arm last year to commemorate my thirtieth birthday. It speaks of self-mastery, embodied sexuality, and courageous authenticity. My Chiron is in Leo conjunct my Ascendant, and so this card is like the antidote to my karmic wound of being afraid to take up space in the world. I love having this reminder on my body, encouraging me to be fearless and unabashed in the ways I express myself.
What has been your biggest struggle as an entrepreneur?
Probably my resistance to social media, in the sense that I struggle to find time and energy for it and screens really drain me, but I know it has the potential to grow my career as an artist exponentially. I spend a lot of time lamenting the fact that I'm not using it properly, which is also a big energy suck in itself! It's a weird loop I find myself in constantly, that I don’t know how to get out of. Would love any tips if you got ‘em!
When you aren’t creating art & reading tarot cards, where can we find you?
What is on your nightstand?
Salt lamp, current book/s, eye mask.
Kikagaku Moyo, Devendra Banhart circa early 2000s, and alllll the freak folk goddesses like Vashti Bunyan, Joanna Newsom, Jessica Pratt, Sibylle Baier, etc.
To book a private tarot reading or discover more of Amber's art you can visit her website www.delicaterealms.ca