Tarot Art Calendar 2006 by Arnell Ando and Leslie Cochran
Review by Diane Wilkes

While I get a number of calendars every year, the one that inevitably gets hung on my kitchen wall is the Tarot Art Calendar by Arnell Ando and Leslie Cochran. Those who have been reading Tarot Passages for a few years know that the art of Arnell Ando has long been an inspiration for me, and Leslie Cochran's collage style perfectly complements and adds to the excitement I feel every year when I receive this calendar in the mail.

Containing six tarot card collages by each artist, this calendar has been published every year since 2003, with Leslie Cochran's 2002 Tarot Collage Calendar preceding its inception. Next year, each artist will have completed a Majors-Only deck from the images included in the calendar over the years.

The quality of the card images is up to the same high standards as in prior years. January shows a tropical Star by Leslie Cochran (the large image on the upper left hand quadrant on the frontispiece of the calendar), a reminder that warmer climes (or at least warmer times) await us even in the ice storms of winter. February, often seen as a romantic month because of Valentine's Day, is illuminated by Cochran's Lover's card. This is one of my favorite images. I love the rich ruby pendulum that reminds us that our choices are often the result of our emotional responses, and that often these decisions are not easily made nor are they cut and dried. May, the fifth month, fittingly is illustrated by Trump V, the Hierophant card by Arnell Ando. Numerous religions and sacraments are reflected in this haunting and mystical image. Father's Day takes place in June, so the Emperor by Leslie Cochran adorns that particular month. Virgo, the astrological ruler of the Hermit, begins in August, and so Arnell Ando's wintry vignette that suggests serious hibernation is more potential than actuality in the dog days of summer.

October  is Halloween's month and the Devil card that proclaims its entry is, to use Ando's phrase, "wickedly wonderful." The Rockwellian landscape contains all sorts of minor debaucheries, and the Hell's Kitchen urban cityscape makes me think of particular scenes from the musical "Guys and Dolls." I actually heard "My Time of Day" mentally the first time I looked at it.

The months, their cards, and their artists are as follows:

The "calendar" part of the calendar includes a short paragraph by the artist about the card that illustrates the month, along with holidays and the four quarters of the lunar cycle. There isn't an enormous amount of space to write about your daily doings, but you don't buy this calendar for mundane reasons. This is the calendar for the artist within who is moved by the fabulous collage imagery of Arnell Ando and Leslie Cochran. It is also for the art collector, as each image is hand-signed by the artist.

Unfortunately, this calendar is already completely sold out, but if 25 people order a copy in advance, the artists have agreed to do a second run which will still keep them within their limited edition number of 100. The calendar is $25 plus shipping, which is a real steal.You can see more images from the calendar and get ordering details here or e-mail Arnell Ando if you wish to order a calendar.

Images © 2005 Arnell Ando and Leslie Cochran
Review and page © 2005 Diane Wilkes