Vehicles of Inquiry: A Contemplative Journey (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781442167414)

My art is funded from my years as a carefree child growing up at Lake Okoboji in NW Iowa. A typical day included climbing in the battered brown duck boat equipped with oars and a two and a half horse motor to begin a day's journey which often led to studying a warty frog sunning beside the elegant water lily, parking the boat to skip through the swampy reeds along the canal following the flight of the dragon fly, or stopping to dig the moist clay from beneath the mossy covered shore rocks. There were no time boundaries. Our daily journey was driven by the wonders of nature and innocent curiosity. My sailboat was an early teacher. On a windy day alertness, responsiveness, and courage were lessons; on a windless day patience, calm, and solitude prevailed. Thus as a child vehicles literally became part of my searching and seeing. My father modeled respect for the lessons of nature; my mother gave us freedom to play and encouraged exploring available art supplies. Both nurtured attention to detail. Childhood was my entry period into both the metaphoric and the art world. It launched my creative journey. Sharing this wonder became my life work. I spent thirty years as an Iowa educator, four in English, the rest teaching art k-12 with a focus on high school in the Des Moines Public Schools. I taught adjunct courses for Iowa State University, Drake University, the Des Moines Art Center, Heartland Area Education Agency, and the Iowa Architecture Foundation plus programs for national art conferences across the country. I still continue to facilitate workshops. My art pursuits have included solo gallery shows; participation in galleries in Iowa, Colorado, and Arizona; serving on art boards; and sharing through open studio shows. The art work has embodied metaphoric narratives, developed in series. The vehicles of Inquiry collection is the most current series. Sue Lewis