Gird Yourself, and Take Heart

Matthew Spencer is a queer illustrator from southeast Michigan. He works primarily in ink, watercolor and gouache (often embellished with metal leaf), creating pieces inspired by folklore, history, and nature. Outside of his freelance work, he has been slowly but surely been illustrating his own tarot deck. The Courtly Beasts Tarot- along with a good deal of Matthew’s other personal work- depicts a fantastical world populated by anthropomorphic animals in elaborate costume, set within lush environments both botanical and architectural.