Melt on

We're back in St. Paul...or were, for about 48 hours.
Tamsie is participating in the Standard Issue Iron Pour in Lanesboro, MN this week, and we're there with her. Our old companion Karl Unnasch is the emcee, and he has already done a lot of set up, and accomodation, and grilled up venison, and we're just getting started. We're all camping out at Sylvan Park in downtown Lanesboro. It's funny living and making molds at a downtown city park, it gives the project a lot of exposure. And you can go and chill out in the library! We're dodging crayfish holes along the banks of the Root River, and playing at the playground. A public pour happens on Saturday, July 24.
More, including pix, coming up!

Red red and pigeon catcher!

Some of us met in London on the way home. Cynthia, Carissa, Toma, Miles and Jessica stayed overnight with us before we all scattered in different directions.
Lauris will remember London for the Diana Memorial Playground, the red pavillion with red cushions by the Serpentine Gallery, and...chasing pigeons!

The Castle of Steady Eddie

On Monday, we finally all pulled ourselves away from the worksite long enough to watch the tide slowly come in at Ferryside. Lauris built a castle for his truck Steady Eddie, with help from everyone else, to keep him from getting swept away.
Did it work? YES!

Breaking out

After an exhausting week preparing the mold, everyone caught a second wind to open the big mold and see what was inside. Tons of sand were shoveled, brushed and clawed out, and firebricks were removed. A crowd was gathered all of Friday, watching.
Lauris found an excellent place to build a sand city nearby.
The carp form came out beautifully, with long strands of iron creeping over the ceiling and floors.
Next it was time for the seaside!

Over the top!

Rain and mist finally didn't stop the action. Everyone spent all day topping off sand inside the car through holes in the roof and over firebricks inside.
Everyone signed the sand before shutting the hatch.
Pour time was put off until dark, after an opening at Kidwelly Castle.
Then...fireworks!
Opening the doors had to wait until the next day.

Wheels!

The last couple of days have been quite hetic, as Tamsie has been preparing the mold for Paulus Somnii (Marsh of Sleep) inside a Vauxhall Corsa car here at the Kidwelly Industrial Museum. She has lots of help from students: Aga Su & Aga, Carissa, Jessica, Miles and Toma. The car was stripped, all fluids and dangerous stuff was pulled out, then the mold of the big carp went into the floor. Also, forms of marsh horsetail weeds made of cardboard were added in, and beds of sand and firebricks filled out the inside. The inside surfaces ere bronze-leafed. Everyone worked like there was no tomorrow!
Pictures and the story of the dramatic finish are coming up!
Lauris is getting to like the chocolate biscuits and J20. He's watching a video on Toma's iPod tonight. It has been raining...actually misting...for days, but the work and fun continue.

coaches, crabs and castles

We had a nice ride on a huge dark green steam engine near Harvey's, in Lydney. Grandma and Opapa were visiting.
We found crabs and other creatures when the tide went out, in the tidal flats of Carmarthen Bay.
Lauris had fruit gums and walked around the top of Kidwelly Castle, and found scary dungeons!

Bilbo!

Bilbo digging in nettles, trying to find maybe a slobbery chewy yellow ball.

Lauris' best friend!

Mama and Lauris

Mama and Lauris playing.

Hum of activity

Harvey and Justine confer during the moldmaking workshop at Berllanderi Sculpture Workshop in Wales, built by Harvey from a farmstead. Will and Debra concentrate nearby.

Think Left!

We've been in Wales for a week now.

Rolling hills, rolling away to the sea.
Grren pastures, narrow tiny villages.
Berllanderi Sculpture Wokshop is near Raglan. At first fifteen, now eight artists are working on molds they will pour at the 5th Int'l Art Iron Casting Conference in Kidwelly. Tamsie is working on a mold including a carp form, cast off af a real carp. She will cast it inside a tiny Vauxhall Corsa car at the conference.
More on that later!
Lauris and I are playing with Harvey's terrier Bilbo, exploring around. We rode a steam train in Lidney when Karin and Dick visited. It's been interesting driving on the left side, and on VERY narrow streets and roads, right alongside huge lorries and everybody else who lives and works here.

Think left!