Mythos Redux: A Patchwork Pantheon

My fascination with classic mythology began in my grammar school library with the discovery of a worn book entitled ‘Greek Myths‘ by Olivia Coolidge, published in 1949. It held an assortment of classic tales of the gods goddesses and heroes who dominated the daily lives and beliefs of royalty and their subjects throughout the Mediterranean regions. These entities are considered fictitious now but in ancient times, they displayed supernatural powers and influences that inspired both fear and awe as they reflected every good and evil characteristic of humanity. Such stories spiked my interest in many other cultural mythologies and the images that often accompanied them would become a strong influence in my development as an artist and illustrator. You can see some of them at: https://www.magiceyegallery.com in the Mythos Gallery. Here are links to specific images:

Apollo & Daphne, 1977

https://magiceyegallery.com/PicturePage.aspx?id=82

Fate, 1980

https://magiceyegallery.com/PicturePage.aspx?id=21

Sleep (Hypnos & Morpheus), 1996

https://magiceyegallery.com/PicturePage.aspx?id=25

Innocence & Icarus, 1985

https://magiceyegallery.com/PicturePage.aspx?id=81

Pericles, Prince of Tyre, 1993

http://www.winnlederer.com/posters/pericles.htm

Bellerophon’s Rocking Horse, 1982

https://magiceyegallery.com/SearchPicturePage.aspx?id=2453

The illustration of the Minotaur above is from ‘A Patchwork Pantheon’, a new collection of twelve drawings (below)that re-imagine those mythological characters in answer to two questions: ‘What might the gods, goddesses and heroes have amused themselves with as children?’ and ‘Might the playthings a child chooses to play with presage the shape of his or her future?”

Tags: digital art, Illustration, ink drawing, mythology