All In The Family: An Interview With Ayn Cates Sullivan On Her ‘Mythic Adventures’

Award-winning author Ayn Cates Sullivan teams with her artist mother, Gwen Cates, for Mythic Adventures: Paintings and Poetry, a book that combines the family talents into a volume of vivid imagery. They won the Photography/Art category at the 2025 Paris Book Festival.

Ayn Cates Sullivan answers a few questions on their literary adventure.

What was the origin of this project?

AYN CATES SULLIVAN:  I grew up watching my mother paint. Our lives were always creative. From the time I was eight years old, I was sure I wanted to be a poet. We had some discussions about how I would make a living as a poet, but I said it didn’t matter, because poetry was for the soul and I would always be fine. We have both been very committed to our own unique forms of artistic expression. Art is good for the soul.

Recently, we attended the Artemis Journal dinner in Roanoke, Virginia and celebrated its 49th year as a publication. This was the first literary magazine to accept my poetry when I was a teenager, and my work has been included in many issues since that time. A few of the poems in Mythic Adventures have also been published by Artemis, who kindly gave us permission to reproduce them. My mother’s art has also been in the journal since the beginning. This has been a lifelong collaboration and quite an adventure. 

One thing I love about my mother is that she is fearless. She is never one to plan, but trusts the unfoldment of life itself. Even at 85 years of age, she wanders amongst her loose horses in the field and still trail rides, even when it is windy. My mother’s wildness inspires me, and terrifies me sometimes! I like more structure, so I ride horses in the arena and spend time with mom creating books. 

Mom recently turned a tractor barn into a large art gallery, and for the first time, I can walk through gazing at an amazing retrospective. But these paintings are not all from the past. An avid painter, Gwen Cates still produces new art on a daily basis. I write at least a few lines of poetry each morning upon waking. Watching mom paint taught me to turn inside and find my inner colors and visions, which are expressed as poetry. 

Over the two years as we created Mythic Adventures, we would meet on Thursday evenings, and sometimes also over the weekends, to delve into the interplay of color and words. Since we both love art and poetry, I believe this strengthened our mother-daughter bond. We both have had something to focus on and look forward to each week. Mythic Adventures is a testament to our long and creative life together. 

How did the work come to life – writing first, illustrations first, or a collaboration on each?

Mythic Adventures was created over a two-year period. Initially, I wanted to put a book together of her artwork. Looking at the paintings, I started to write poetry that wove with her canvasses. Some poems I had already written were a good natural match, and other poems were written specifically to accompany the artwork. Before too long, I realized we were co-creating a book.  

Do you have a favorite in this collection?  

The first poem in the book is called “Blessings of the Ancestors,” which is accompanied with Gwen Cates’ “Springtime of the Rivanna River.” I wrote this poem after the difficult phase of the pandemic. Finding the colors in the paintings and in my soul helped lift my spirits. It is true that colors can heal. 

I feel that the creation of the book has been well-supported by our ancestors, who are mostly on the other side of the veil now. I was pleased that mom’s younger brother Franklin Foster wrote a beautiful tribute to mom that is at the back of the book, along with my own tribute to my mother. How wonderful to engage in these loving acts while we are all still alive! Often we get busy and wait too long to let people know how much they mean to us. 

I wrote “Whisper” to go with her “Ear of the Wind” painting that she did for an art exhibition in Park City, Utah. I was intrigued by the idea that the Earth has ears and can listen.

Another favorite combination is “January Snow,” which goes with “Snowbanks of the Rivanna River.” The poem ends with these lines: 

“The shining trees

Resting in their roots,

Preserve the memory of birdsong.

The promise of a new country

Sleeps beneath the snow.

Only one day will be like this.”

Walking along the river in the pristine snow and then writing the poem reminded me that each moment is precious and not to waste my time with matters that are ultimately unimportant. 

Any plans for a live event, with readings and images?

The books are always available at the Whiskey Ridge Exhibit Hall in Charlottesville, Virginia. I am sharing Mythic Adventures at two upcoming women’s retreats that I am running in the USA, and will continue to share with my readers. I often take the book with me to my other author events and read sections of poetry. My British friends also love the book. Mythic Adventures has made it as far as Rome. This award inspired us to make the book available online so anyone in the world can download an eBook or order a physical book. I hope we will encourage other people to create together.

Renewal seems to be a theme in many of the verses. Was that a conscious decision, or did it just turn out that way?

We began co-creating this book after a particularly challenging time. I had been through a difficult medical experience which involved not being able to walk for several months. My father died in 2018, and my mother was also designing a new life for herself that was more independent and based on the way she wished to live. We painted, wrote poetry, told stories and healed together.

Why are the essays at the end of the book rather than the beginning?

We wanted the focus of Mythic Adventures to be on the poetry and artwork. We felt the testimonials at the back of the book added to the depth of the material. 

Are there other collaborative works that didn’t make it into this collection?  

My sisters and aunt wrote moving testimonials that we decided not to include. I’ve written hundreds of poems and mom has hundreds of paintings. Mythic Adventures is only a taste of the years we have spent creating art. We generally work solo, but it is a real delight to weave artistic gifts.

What is the ideal way to read and enjoy this book? 

Gwen Cates: Mythic Adventures is a book to take your time with. It is beautiful enough to rest on a coffee table or nightstand. Yet, one way I love to enjoy the book is to read it with my adult daughter, Kathryn Hamilton, who is also a painter. Perhaps one day we will continue the tradition. My nieces and nephews also seem to love the collaboration. 

Why not curl up with a friend, a loved one, an elderly person, a small child, someone who is infirm and needs some inspiration, and just read? Mythic Adventures is designed to uplift and remind us to trust life again.

Did anything change in the art or in the verses during their creation?  

Gwen Cates’ “Stone Bridge at Craigstone Castle, Scotland” was painted during a long wedding weekend. Before the book went to print, the bride and groom decided to go separate ways. I changed the poem from a celebratory poem to the idea that we all have dates with destiny:

“Do not weep –

the fairytale is meant to fade

into the shimmering air.”

And concluded with:

“Be brave for your heart

will break another time.

Cross the stone bridge

where all things begin

and end.”

How should the paintings be viewed?

GWEN CATES: We invite people to look through the paintings and pause at one that they really enjoy. Then read the accompanying poem and contemplate how they relate to each other.