Left: 'Ariadne' is partially
based on the traditional
myth of Theseus and the
Minotaur, and on more
recent archaeological
findings at Knossos on
the island of Crete. The
cloud of dust in the left
background is the
eruption of the volcano
on the island of Thera
(modern Santorini), which
may have doomed the
Minoan civilization,
caused the ten plagues of
Egypt described in the
Book of Exodus, and
been the basis of the
legend of Atlantis.
Ariadne holds a ball of
twine to guide her and
Theseus through the
Labyrinth to the tower of
the monstrous Minotaur.
Also tied to the story of Ariadne
is Dionysus, who takes her for
his bride after Theseus
abandons her on the island of
Naxos. Here the god is seen
with his retinue of nymphs,
satyrs, and a very tame leopard.
Left and below: Centaurs. As a
Sagittarius, I've always found
them fun and challenging to
draw. I once knew someone
who fussed endlessly over how
to depict their anatomy
'properly', that human nostrils
couldn't provide enough air for
a body that large, et cetera. I had
to remind her that, after all, this is
 a mythological creature.
Left: Heracles
(Hercules), the
bumbling
superhero from
ancient myth,
battles the
Nemean lion,
one of his
Twelve Labors.