Special Projects Bearfoot in the City, “Spirit Bear” Created as part of the Knoxville’s 2001 Bearfoot in the City public art project, “Spirit Bear” sports an upbeat, colorful and energetic montage of images celebrating the spirit of the natural world. It is inspired by the rhythms of life: day and night, growth, the seasons and the elements (earth, wind, water and fire.) This is a fresh and optimistic bear, intentionally whimsical in color and composition, spontaneous in execution. It is a fun piece, communicating light, humor and reverence for nature. The Aslan Foundation’s sponsorship of “Spirit Bear” offered the artist a unique opportunity for creative collaboration, and resulted in a “tweaking” of the original design to incorporate a majestic, mystical feel, reflective of the noble character of Aslan the Lion from C.S. Lewis’ tales of Narnia. The original sunburst image was moved from the bear’s back to his head, creating a lion-like mane. (Thanks to son Nathan Reider, Narnia aficionado, for the idea!) Snippets of text from the Narnia books meander among the images, with a blooming rose and a hidden heart, symbols faith, gratitude and love. “Spirit Bear,” a make-believe bear inspired by a philathropic organization (Aslan Foundation) named after a real-life dog (Aslan the golden retriever) named after a fictional character (Aslan the lion), was purchased by a private collector at the Big Bear Bash in August 2002. swreider@honorthejourney.com.