I was invited to Karl Unnasch's "Standard Issue" which is an artist residency on metal casting, or in particular what is called an Iron Pour. Iron Pours are way over the top. Easily one of the most exciting mediums going. The week starts out making forms out of clay, progressing to making resined sand molds off those clay forms, and finally pouring molten iron into the molds to hopefully achieve a piece. The fact that it was run by Karl makes it - well, it's kind of hard to find the right words but surreal comes to mind. This guy's not your average run of the mill farm boy. To be quite truthful I think he milked one too many cows in his earlier years. Standard Issue was held on the farm outside of Lanesboro, MN of his parents Rich and Winnie Unnasch who can only be described as "salt of the earth." Truly enjoyable people, and Winnie is an artist herself and participated in the pour as well as tending to the many chores of farm life.

La Crosse artist Jo Ann Planavsky who was also in attendance kept telling me about a grouping of cliff swallows she had seen the previous day at a local rock quarry. So, off we went for some inspiration, and it ended up being the subject of my pour. I was entranced by the close social life of the birds with their dense grouping of mud nests hanging high off sheer rock faces. The female entombs herself within the nest with her eggs for protection from predators leaving only a small opening to receive food from her mate. I tried to capture this intensely close and dependent relationship in my piece.