“Give me a field and it’s pure inspiration,” sculptor Thomas Sayre says. He likes stainless steel, sure, but at the moment, Sayre is into earthcasting, in which he “digs holes in Mother Earth, pours or sprays concrete into their shapes, and then stands them up against Father Sky.” Sayre wants to marry human intention and the grain of nature, which means that a 16-foot-tall, 30,000-pound piece is “small and intricate” for this artist who uses complex detailing and structural engineering to build his creations. Oh, and a very large crane.
Feature image: The massive sculptures that Sayre casts in dirt worldwide, including Flue in Kinston (above, right), begin as designs in an old plumbing supply warehouse in downtown Raleigh.
In the latest episode of Away Message, we find out how a quiet place in the foothills went crazy for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
This year, we’ll wave flags in Wilmington and Waynesville, fire up the grill in Fayetteville and Fuquay-Varina. Most of all, we’ll reflect on the earliest days of our country and the true meaning of Independence Day.
Blackberry cobbler, peach ice cream, spiked blueberry lemonade, and tacos with watermelon pico de gallo: These fresh fruit recipes are fit for a Fourth of July feast — and all summer long.
Find out what an award-winning photographer and an expert guide have to say about chasing North Carolina’s stunning cascades — and how to snap frame-worthy photos of your favorite falls.
