{"id":2085,"date":"2026-03-24T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/normasueoneil.com\/?p=2085"},"modified":"2026-03-16T13:42:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T20:42:20","slug":"why-i-created-an-olympian-gods-illustration-series-before-writing-my-centaur-mythology-novels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/normasueoneil.com\/?p=2085","title":{"rendered":"Why I Created an Olympian Gods Illustration Series Before Writing My Centaur Mythology Novels"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

And why I\u2019m Releasing the Olympian Archive Before Moving on to Centaurs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For the next year, I\u2019m reopening a collection of artwork that has quietly lived in the background of my studio for several years: my Olympian series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between 2021 and 2024, I created a set of illustrations depicting the Olympian gods of Greek mythology. Each piece was printed as a small art card and originally shared through my Patreon community. Because that community was very small at the time, many of those cards were only ever mailed to a single patron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I move further into the mythic creatures who inhabit my novels, especially the centaurs, I\u2019ve decided to reopen that archive and share the collection again, one god at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To explain why, it helps to go back to the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The Origin of My Olympian Gods Illustration Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From the start, my goal as a storyteller was not simply to illustrate Greek mythology, but to expand it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My novels take place within the mythic world of ancient Greece, but the focus of the story is not the Olympian gods themselves. Instead, the narrative follows the lives of mythic creatures, especially centaurs, whose stories are rarely explored in depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when you invite readers into a world like that, there is a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People may not immediately recognize new characters or unfamiliar storylines. Even in mythology, audiences often need a familiar doorway before they feel comfortable exploring something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Olympian gods provide that doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo, these figures are part of the shared language of mythology. They are the architecture of the mythic world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So before introducing my own characters and stories, I began by illustrating the gods themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artistically, I approached the series as a conversation between past and present. The illustrations combine my own drawing style with visual influences from Attic red-figure pottery<\/strong>, one of the most recognizable artistic traditions of ancient Greece. The goal was to create something that felt both classical and contemporary, a bridge between the ancient world and the new stories growing from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Why I\u2019m Releasing the Series Now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The timing of this project is connected to a very ordinary part of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For several years, much of my creative work slowed down while I focused on raising my son during his earliest years. Anyone who has balanced creative work and early motherhood knows how quickly time disappears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, with my son now in kindergarten, I have been able to reclaim a small window of dedicated studio time again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A significant portion of that time is currently devoted to editing Book Three of my <\/strong>Sons of Apollo<\/em> series<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as I began returning to that manuscript, I realized something important: publishing the next book without a foundation audience would mean releasing the story into near silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the years when my creative time was limited, the part of my work that suffered the most was marketing and audience building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Releasing the Olympian archive now gives me a way to rebuild that foundation slowly and intentionally while I continue editing the novel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

How This Connects to Book Three<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In mythology, everything begins with the gods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Olympians are not the main characters of my novels, but they are part of the world those stories inhabit. Each of them appears, sometimes briefly and sometimes more directly, within the larger mythic landscape of the series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By revisiting the Olympians first, I am returning to the roots of that world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For readers who may eventually discover my novels, these illustrations become a kind of introduction, a familiar mythic landscape that opens the door to deeper and less familiar stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gods are timeless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The characters who follow them in my books are new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

What Comes After the Olympian Gods: Centaurs and the Sons of Apollo Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Olympian archive is not the destination of this project, it is the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the next year, I will be releasing one Olympian illustration each month through my Patreon community, accompanied by reflections on the symbolism and mythic themes behind each figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While that series unfolds, I will also be completing the final revisions of Book Three in the Sons of Apollo<\/em> series<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the gods come the creatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And those creatures, especially the centaurs, are where the heart of my storytelling truly lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Following the Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d like to follow the Olympian releases as they unfold, you can join my Patreon community where each month\u2019s artwork and reflections are shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each release includes a printed art card from the original series along with new writing exploring the mythic meaning behind the figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can learn more or join the community here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patreon.com\/normasueoneil<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Final note<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In mythology, beginnings matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year is my way of returning to the beginning, both for the stories I\u2019m writing and for the audience I hope will discover them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gods come first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The creatures follow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Before introducing the mythic creatures who inhabit my novels, especially the centaurs, I began by illustrating the Olympian gods of Greek mythology. This post explains why I created the series, why I\u2019m reopening the archive now, and how these familiar mythic figures form the foundation for the stories in my Sons of Apollo series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2086,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"I\u2019m rebuilding my mythic world from the beginning.\n\nThis April, I\u2019m reopening my Olympian series, starting with Zeus.\n\nOver the next 12 months, I\u2019ll be sharing one Olympian each month:\nsketches, ink work, final illustration, symbolism, and collector rewards.\n\nIf you\u2019ve followed my centaur novel or my mythology work, this is the foundation beneath it.\n\nPatreon is my inner circle, where the full process and rewards live.\n\nIf you\u2019ve ever wanted to join at the beginning of something, this is it.\n\n\u26a1 Zeus arrives in April.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,5,121,7,8],"tags":[337,115,119,116],"class_list":["post-2085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-projects","category-mythology","category-sons-of-apollo-series","category-stories","category-writing","tag-art-and-mythology","tag-greek-mythology","tag-mythological-fantasy","tag-mythology","without-featured-image"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6v7yg-xD","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":795,"url":"https:\/\/normasueoneil.com\/?p=795","url_meta":{"origin":2085,"position":0},"title":"The Origin Myths of the Centaurs: Insightful or Condemning?","author":"normasue","date":"March 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Explore the competing origin myths of the centaurs in Greek mythology and how their beginnings shaped their infamous reputation.","rel":"","context":"In "Mythology"","block_context":{"text":"Mythology","link":"https:\/\/normasueoneil.com\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/normasueoneil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/centaurs2105.jpg?fit=720%2C468&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/normasueoneil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/centaurs2105.jpg?fit=720%2C468&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/normasueoneil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/centaurs2105.jpg?fit=720%2C468&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/normasueoneil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/centaurs2105.jpg?fit=720%2C468&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1922,"url":"https:\/\/normasueoneil.com\/?p=1922","url_meta":{"origin":2085,"position":1},"title":"Sons of Apollo series","author":"normasue","date":"July 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A Greek mythology retelling about the centaurs.","rel":"","context":"In "Mythology"","block_context":{"text":"Mythology","link":"https:\/\/normasueoneil.com\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/normasueoneil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2025-03-24_13-59-57_7946107803744239349539.jpeg?fit=1200%2C621&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/normasueoneil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2025-03-24_13-59-57_7946107803744239349539.jpeg?fit=1200%2C621&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/normasueoneil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2025-03-24_13-59-57_7946107803744239349539.jpeg?fit=1200%2C621&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/normasueoneil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2025-03-24_13-59-57_7946107803744239349539.jpeg?fit=1200%2C621&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/normasueoneil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2025-03-24_13-59-57_7946107803744239349539.jpeg?fit=1200%2C621&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":804,"url":"https:\/\/normasueoneil.com\/?p=804","url_meta":{"origin":2085,"position":2},"title":"The Centaurs: A Fascinating Trope From Greek Mythology","author":"normasue","date":"April 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\ud83c\udfdb\ufe0f The Centaurs: A Fascinating Trope from Greek Mythology By Norma Sue O\u2019NeilUpdated October 2025 \u00a0 The Enduring Allure of Mythical Beasts From fire-breathing dragons to seductive sirens, the creatures of Greek mythology have captivated readers for thousands of years. 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