When we met to discuss “sunrise,” Paul brought the sketch below. It’s his recollection of a design he saw on a feed sack — something we once had in abundance. He has been thinking that this simple Sun Rise Feeds image would make a good relief carving. The scene makes him think of Dad. (Little wonder! That could very well be Daddy’s Minneapolis Moline tractor there in the center.)

Paul didn’t see many sunrises growing up. Dad generally did the pre-dawn milking on his own, then clattered his way into the house to clean up — creating an oh-so-audible alarm for the rest of the family to get moving.

But now, as a rural mail carrier, Paul knows the sunrise well. One of Dad’s catch phrases makes much more sense to him now: “We’re burning daylight.” Certain activities simply must be completed by the light of day. That’s a farmer’s reality, and a mail carrier’s, too.

“This process is helping me come up with stories for the things I do,” Paul said of our ongoing Sibling Discovery Project. Stories bring meaning not just for the artist, but also for the community that appreciates the art.