House of Cards Project and the Sickle Cell Warriors
The purpose of this campaign is to complete the House of Cards art project in order to raise money and awareness for
sickle cell warriors. In 2001, my husband passed away from the complications of sickle cell disease at the age of 39 leaving my two sons, ages 7 and 9, and me with the legacy of a man who never gave up and made every moment count. He was a true warrior. Before he died he became very interested in a new online community called the Sickle Cell Warriors (sicklecellwarriors.com). He loved how they focused on supporting those living with the disease with a positive never-give-up attitude as well as working for prevention and cure.
The House of Cards Project
The House of Cards project all started in October of 2012 when I wrote a poem for a friend who was in despair over a painful divorce. After writing this poem, I began thinking through my own loss and recovery and created what became the first "card" --
The Queen of Heart Transplants.![]()
This then lead to the King of Hearts, titled
The King of Pain and the Sickle Moon which explored my husbands struggle with the life-threatening and extremely painful disease.
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One thing led to another and soon I was recreating the entire deck of cards as 26 x 40 inch mixed media works-on-paper. A book of poetry and art has also been produced with each suit and are available for perks for this campaign.
House of Cards: The Star Suit is currently in process.
The Heart Suit combines my personal story with Egyptian and Tarot
images.
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Clubs became the Tree Suit incorporating myth and story from different
cultures with the artist’s experience of both the natural and symbolic world of
trees.
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The diamond suit was became the Star Suit with a
focus on celestial bodies and constellations and the way they are viewed from a
variety of perspectives.
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Finally, the spade suit is in the process of becoming the Bone Suit, with a focus on combining fossil prehistory with the Day of the Dead
imagery.
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Please visit my website, deniseweaverross.com to view all the images in more detail.
The Art Cards Campaign for the Sickle Cell Warriors
The purpose of this campaign is to raise the money to print the entire deck of cards. The profit from the sale of these cards will go to help fund the ongoing work of the Sickle Cell Warriors (sicklecellwarriors.com). The images have created a great deal of interest with over 2000 followers on my artist Facebook page and many people have expressed interest in purchasing the decks once the work is complete.
The Online Auction
The original 26 x 40 inch mixed media works-on-paper from the Bone and Star Suits will be exhibited at the Tortuga Gallery in Albuquerque in October 2015. The Heart and Tree Suits were already shown in the gallery in February of 2014 and received much praise in the local media.
Albuquerque Journal Arts review
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Playing cards carry symbolism by Wesley Pulkka
Alibi
V.23 No.6 | February 6 - 12, 2014
Arts Feature
My Heart Is in the Trees
And under a giant sea bird
By Gail Guengerich
New Mexico Art Review, February, 2014
"Opening One's Heart"
by Chuck Lathrop
Simultaneously there will be an online auction for all the original pieces not previously sold. Any money over $500 (unframed) or $750 (framed) will also be split between the Sickle Cell Warriors and the local Sickle Cell Association. The frames for these pieces cost $250.
Any monies raised in this campaign over the amount needed for the printing of the cards will go to these ongoing art making and fund-raising efforts.
Clubs became the Tree Suit incorporating myth and story from different
cultures with the artist’s experience of both the natural and symbolic world of
trees. 
Finally, the spade suit is in the process of becoming the Bone Suit, with a focus on combining fossil prehistory with the Day of the Dead
imagery.
