Today we’d like to introduce you to Pamela Steele

Pamela, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

At 15 years old, I was denied access to art classes in school because, according to the art director, I had no talent. That year, I sold my first oil painting.
As a self-taught artist, I have sold paintings on canvas and murals on buildings and in hospitals. I’ve won awards for Best of Show, Best Cartoon, and Best Fantasy paintings and drawings at various art shows across North America. My work reached international status in 1984 when one of my paintings was chosen for the German Science Fiction Fantasy Art Book’s cover art. My artwork has been featured in D & D Magazines and more recently featured as the Guest Artist for the Northwest Tarot Symposium in Portland OR.
In early 1979, I began reading tarot with the iconic, Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck. Twenty years later, in October 1999 I began creating the Steele Wizard Tarot. The art was finished in June 2000.
In 2013 one of my young grandchildren asked for a tarot deck. After searching children’s decks, I created the Wizard’s Pets Tarot using characters I created in 1984.
I self-published 2 editions of the “Steele Wizard Tarot, the Language of the Soul”, and the first edition of the “Wizard’s Pets Tarot-the ABCs”. Today, Red Feather, the MBS division of Schiffer Publishing publishes the “Steele Wizard Tarot” and my most recent creation in the divination area, the “Eternal Seeker Oracle.”
Currently, I am a professional tarot reader, a tarot and oracle creator and author, an accredited Life Coach, and a licensed massage therapist. I also spend time drawing new pictures and creating art.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

I was a single mom from 1973 till my sons, then 1 and 3 years old, were grown. Working two jobs involved tending bar at night and working as an artist during the days allowed me time to spend quality with my boys who were, are, and will always be the greatest joy in my life.
Armed with a high school education, raw determination, and sheer willpower I never had much faith in who I was, but I have an unshakable belief in what I can do when I put my mind to it.
Over time, I lived from coast to coast in the US breaking and training horses when not working in a bar with art always playing a major part in my life. I’ve competed in SciFi-Fantasy Art shows internationally and received accolades and awards from my peers despite being told I “wasn’t good enough” due to my lack of art training. The truth is, I learned to paint and draw at my kitchen table, sometimes working on a project through the night when I wasn’t working at one of my jobs.
In 1974 I flew to Alberta Canada with my boys to meet my new stepdad. He quickly became the “Most Important Person” in my young sons’ lives and in 1976, I managed to convince Canada to grant me landed immigrant status and moved us to Alberta.
In the mid-80s, I organized and ran the local art club and built it into a force to be reckoned with. In the late 80s, I also founded and ran an artisan street fair for 5 years despite the town telling me it would never work. It was a huge success.
In the late 90s, I co-founded a medieval faire and for 14 years the faire was a summer destination for people across Canada and the US.
Today, at almost 73 years old, I still work as a licensed massage therapist and was one of the founding members of the first massage therapy association recognized by the province. Most recently I completed a course in Life Coaching to better serve those who come to me for guidance.
When in doubt, I remind myself, “Life happens through me, not to me.”

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

After specializing in fantasy art for over 50 years, it was natural to follow my passion and move into illustrating tarot and oracle decks. I paint and draw from what “feels” authentic and right.
It delights me to help others who are on their tarot/oracle journey with their projects by helping them over the humps and coaching them regarding the legalities such as copyrights. I believe there is room for everyone in the world of art and divination; together, we can make a positive difference.
When my peers write the forewords for my companion books, they write of my wisdom, innate knowledge, and compassion. Ironically, we never see ourselves as others do. So, I’m going to trust their words and opinions and say “thank you.”
Besides my children and grandchildren, I am incredibly proud of the artwork I’ve created over the last half-century. I truly believe creating a divination deck reveals the manifestation of the creator’s inner truth. This is their “soul’s language” given a voice in art form. Hence, the tagline for the Steele Wizard Tarot; ‘the Language of the Soul.’
My compassion for others, combined with my love of nature and all the earth’s creatures has given me a unique perspective in recognizing the Truth that We are All One. When we know and understand that “I am that. I AM” we can embrace wholeness and fearlessly shine our light in the darkness for all to see.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?

There is a growing threat of piracy in the art and literature fields. With the introduction of AI to the mix, we need to be vigilant and protect ourselves and each other.

Art has evolved beyond pen, pencil, paint, and canvas to include digital creations. I know artists who have branched out and now use sophisticated art programs with drawing tablets and styluses to create breathtaking works of art. These artists treat their digital tools as a viable medium and do not use photos or other works to create art. I view these as legitimate as traditional mediums. After dealing with severe arthritis in both hands, I followed in the footsteps of some talented artists and taught myself to use these digital tools. I applaud and commend those artist who paved the way with their talent.

I hope to see the copyright laws evolve to include online works. In the meantime, I encourage every artist to never, ever post any of their work without strategic watermarks to help prevent theft.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tarotbypamelasteele.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarot_by_pamela_steele/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TarotReadingbyPamela
• Twitter: https://x.com/SteeleWizard
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7i_QYnIR4AR9JRkZIwvX1Q