Mary Hanson-Roberts

Mary Hanson-Roberts

Mary Hanson-Roberts was born in 1947 and passed away on December 16, 2020. She was a talented artist and illustrator known for her work on tarot decks, including the Hanson-Roberts Tarot Deck and the Universal Waite Tarot Deck. Her illustrations are characterized by their warm, detailed, and approachable style, often done in colored pencils. Hanson-Roberts' work is celebrated for its accessibility to both beginners and seasoned tarot readers, with decks that have been widely praised for their charm and usability.

The Hanson-Roberts Tarot Deck, first published in 1985, is celebrated for its charming and detailed illustrations. This deck is based on the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition but features softer colors and a fairy-tale aesthetic, making it accessible and appealing to both beginners and experienced tarot readers. The artwork is done in colored pencils, giving the cards a warm and approachable feel.

Mary Hanson-Roberts also collaborated on the Universal Waite Tarot Deck, where she recolored the original black-and-white illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith under the direction of Stuart R. Kaplan. This deck offers a more visually soothing alternative with softer, more naturalistic color tones.

The Whimsical Tarot Deck, another of her creations, combines traditional tarot symbolism with characters from fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and children's stories, providing a playful and imaginative twist to the tarot reading experience.

Hanson-Roberts' decks are noted for their small size, making them easy to shuffle and handle. The Hanson-Roberts Tarot Deck, in particular, has been voted one of the best tarot decks by readers on Aeclectic Tarot, a popular online tarot community.