Hi again, everyone!
Thanks for all your kind words!
Just to answer a few queries....
Major Tom... I'm really glad you like the Hierophant. I do too.
As to why you can see the faces of the acolytes...well there's a simple reason.
I decided right off to equate the children in my deck with a feeling of innocence. That is why all the children in the cards have masks with them, but they do not yet wear them.
They are still very open about who they are.
And Alas! there's no bits falling off the cake...unless you count the tiny figures of the Lovers...
(but since you are one of only three people who have ever seen THAT card...I shouldn't say any more...at least not yet!)
Kissa and Luna...I have had, I believe, very similar problems with the Hierophant as far back as I can remember...all I could ever equate him with was a very small minded, church view, and a feeling of Righteousness. And it really did come from the illustrations in the decks I have. (don't worry Kissa...this does not mean you are a lousy reader...I felt the same way!)
But as I worked on the image...and really LISTENED to the card speak to me, I found that there are some wonderful things about the Hierophant's personality that I had not really taken the time to notice before...like the strong and respectful father image, as well as teacher of What Has Come Before.
The idea of tradition and ritual was very strongly in my mind, thanks to an earlier thread in the RWS study group about the significance of roses and lilies.
Imagemaker helped me define and refine my theories on ritual...which made me think of why some are so important, and why people hang on to older more established ways of doing things...it's not neccessarily because they are resistant to change(as I have always thought that the Hiero is)...but because there is a Truth in some tried and tested ways of doing things.
That's pretty much what sparked our conversation...and you can see that the Hierophant has a knowing (and somewhat wry) smile!
Don't mean to get so deep into this right now...but I was so very exited about my Hierophant epiphany!!
I hope you can look at him a little differently now too!
Anyway...I have finished the card sketches for the Wheel and the Priestess...and I hope to block the colors soon!
I am not even close to finishing all these Majors in the next two weeks (my own deadline...sigh) But I do feel as if I am back on track! I am shooting for about two cards a week at this point(barring any sudden setbacks!)
So keep watching this space! And as always...thanks everyone for your encouragement!