GENEVIEVE BARBEE-TURNER
Genevieve Barbee-Turner is a freelance illustrator based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who specializes in creating illustrations for jigsaw puzzles, board games, card decks, and activity books.
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CREATIVE STATEMENT
My interest in tarot and playing card design started in 2016 with my first Pittsburgh-themed tarot deck. I use the cards as a medium to explore nonlinear storytelling. I have designed and produced six different decks over ten years with two more currently in development. A deck of cards is a collection of individual stories that come together to form creative narratives. In the cards I illustrate, I combine a love of portraiture and storytelling—exploring how we talk about ourselves and the symbols we use to communicate our values. Cards are both a communication tool and an illustrated universe that fits into a pocket. Since creating Bridge Witches in 2016, I have built several other decks exploring Appalachain folklore, mental health, queer identity, imposter syndrome, and income inequality.
Successful card deck illustration requires fresh and unique takes on recognizable iconography which happens to be part of what I love about making decks over and over. It's important that each of my cards look like little paintings and function as individual pieces but also work in unison with the other cards in the full deck.
Q&A
Which game is a family tradition for you?
As a kid in the 1900s we played a lot of BS and gin rummy. Having a deck of cards on hand meant we always had a game we could play, even if it was just me on my own playing solitaire.
Which player piece do you choose in Monopoly?
The lil’ dog of course!
What advice do you have for puzzle makers or game players?
Love the process as much as the outcome.
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