Fierce guardian, loyal companion, safe haven, shamanic healer -- such attributes have been ascribed to the bear in various cultures around the world throughout time. For Susan Seddon Boulet, the spirit of the bear was present in her life in all these manifestations. She relied on it for comfort, healing, and inspiration in her inner journeys, vision quests, and healing work. In her paintings -- from her earliest sketches to the last works she completed before her death in April 1997 -- the bear is a recurring figure, sometimes the central theme of a piece, sometimes a small but essential element.Michael Babcock, a close friend of the artist for more than fifteen years, explores in depth the significance of the bear in Boulet's art and life in The Power of the Bear. Complete with over forty reproductions of her bear paintings and sketches, this book presents a fascinating overview of the bear's function in mythology and many traditions of story-telling while providing an intimate portrait of an artist internationally beloved and now acutely missed.
