Queen of Spades (on Paper)

The Queen of Spades — she’s the warrior. She brings order to chaos and embodies qualities like strategic and logical thinking — things we could all use more of these days. She also has a bit of a sharp (read: violent) edge, being the only queen who holds a scepter. And unlike the others, she faces to the right—a design choice made long ago to help distinguish the cards. But let’s be honest, when you’re holding cards in your hand, you’re probably paying more attention to the letter and symbol in the corner than the direction of her gaze.

Like stories, playing cards have evolved over time, shaped by the choices of artists and designers—just as I’ve made my own creative choices with these paintings.

In this piece, you’ll notice a subtle stem-and-leaf pattern in the background. But it’s the queens’ eyes that really steal the show—watchful, with just a hint of an eye roll. Layers of details, splatters, and touches of gold bring them to life.