Mosaic Mom

At 6PM, I took Chinese food over to THS for the National Art Society membership initiation ceremony. I took Beef Pepper Steak, Chicken Chinese Vegetables, White and Fried rice, Vegetarian rolls and fortune cookies. The little Chinese place where Mom waits on customers while Pop cooks was very happy to have an order to feed a group of 25 people. Pop is a great cook and I always try to get Mom to teach me a few Chinese words every time I go in. I'll never understand why most Americans want to eat hamburgers. So sad.

We had 21 kids and their parents...a really great group. One Mom really got all choked up and teary during the candle lighting ceremony. One of the Dads was snapping photos like crazy.

I didn't recognize S. with her Halloween costume. She was Ghost of Amelia Earhart. She and A., also in costume, were going over to work at the Haunted House following the ceremony and dinner.

After dinner, Suzy gave me a broken salt and pepper shaker set. It will be excellent for mosaics. The kids in second period are throwing tile chips at each other, but otherwise she is pleased with their project on their mosaic projects.

Tomorrow, I might go put in an order for more Venetian tiles at Atlantic tile. I'll have to remember to take a Milkbone for Atlas the giant poodle.

My workdesk is given over to Helen who has brought home 2 ceramics pieces to bondo. I never would have guessed bondo could make clay smooth, but it sure as heck does.
Unfortunately, I can't stand the smell of bondo fumes. They really make my throat sore. So I stay outside. All that sanding is very dusty too, even with the help of fans.

I am working on Blue Moon again this morning and am very happy with the progress. I am too lazy to work on the wall today, although I did fetch more 12x12 tiles over to the site. When I feel peppier, I will break them and apply them to the bottom border.

The Promethea is really looking great. Most of the top work is done and I will start on the base tomorrow.

As soon as Blogspot offers pictures again, I will order the service and everyone can see the results.

I have an idea for a mirror using the bisazza also. Not sure how to work out the final placement of the mirror into the frame once the mosaic is done. Joe says place the mirror last because any scratch renders the work unsaleable. But this texture will be so deep that I'll need to set the mirror in and work my way out. Or maybe there's a way to construct the sides as a last step???

Helen is coming by tomorrow to apply bondo to some ceramics. I'd like to see this technique. I use mortar for repairs but maybe bondo is better.

Wonder if I'm supposed to fetch the food for THS NAHS on Thursday? Better e mail Suzy and find out.

What a great help Jake is. He held the grout bucket since there was no room out on the edge of the scaffold. I got all the top border done and the scaffold removed.

We then decided to dig up the quisquallis so the west corner could be finished without fighting lizzards, poisonous caterpillars, and mosquitos. It got potted up in a 15 gal pot and will spend the winter in the greenhouse. We will plant it out in the spring probably along the front fence where it can get enough hours of sun to bloom.

I think there is an evil brown lizzard moving in on my little green lizzards. Also we found a huge skink; it moved into my laundry room. The tree frogs will have to relocate out of the scaffold supports too.

It is too hot and mosquito-y again to work outside in the evenings; it is still in the upper 80's. We were to have had a dip in temps today, but that has been adjusted to Tuesday and adjusted 10 degrees higher. Weathermen!

Most of the time I use QEP tile cutters.
For glass tiles, I use leponitt cutters. Both these items are available through wits end mosaics company on line.
For ceramic figures, I use a wet saw although I have done small ones with a hacksaw.
I have a mechanical slide cutter, but I don't use it as much since I got the wet saw and got lazy.
These cutters were bought at my local tile dealer store.

Always wear eye protection...voice of experience here.

Pretty good weather today so I finished up the light blue on the carport wall.

Then I had to extend the pattern over to the west side so I pruned the quisquallis. That quisquallis had survived being buried under a concrete slab for years, yet I was afraid of hurting it....but I got over that and pruned myself some access.

There is a random pattern of broken china in that west area so I decided to extend it. I placed several coffee mugs, a fork and 3 plates out left of center. I was almost finished for the day when I saw spider legs sticking up from behind a plate. Fearing I'd covered up its little home, I pulled the plate off. There was no hole or crack that I'd missed, so I put the plate back up and spidey moved right in behind it again. Beware the grout tomorrow, idiot spider.

I took my first quizilla test yesterday. I am the Dr Seuss character "Mr. Brown" The one and only Dr Seuss book I've never read...What does it mean? Then I ran the delete the spy bot program and cleaned up after having visited quizilla.

It was very windy today, so no chance to work outside. Not cold but too many leaves and too much litter blowing around. I didn't want to do cut work so I opted for housework all day instead of mosaics. This brought me into view of Tall Butterscotch pot all day long. It sits as the centerpiece on my dining room table. It was made for a client, but I love it and little companion piece. I've just been ignoring the gallery, hope they won't call and ask where the order is. That's no way to run a business.

Mt Dora Center for the Arts phoned the other day. Joe Difiore is running another mosaics class starting this week. They asked if I wanted to sign on, but I've got too much coming up to take a class now. Maybe in the spring. Joe is a great teacher.

My legs are aching from standing on the ladder for much of the weekend, but all the top work is done....well, almost. Helen's suggestion to add light blue to the top area on the right side is a good one. I will do that later in the week when the temperature dips again and when my legs feel better.

Suzy asked me to teach this week, but I am still so wound up at Fat Coach Wittsmund that I might yell at him again. So I think I'll pass. Besides she needs to rein that group in. An outsider would just encourage their running amok.

I will probably work on Blue Moon tomorrow so I can sit while working. And I have to rename Prometheus because it's got boobs so it ain't a Prometheus....maybe Promethea?

Thecno-helper couldn't get into Blogger HQ to buy me a pictures location on Saturday. Bummer. I probably won't be able to work up the nerve, although I understand the steps. I am definitely low tech.

Grouting is complete on the top border that I tiled yesterday. Looks good. I hear a techno-helper might be coming my way tomorrow to add pictures to this site! Yay.

I went up on the ladder to reach over the quisqualis vine and install blue gems around the lizzard hole. But the lizzards were on the ladder and weren't scared of me so they wouldn't get out of my way. I was terrified that one might jump on my leg and cause me to freak out and fall off the ladder.

Jake to the rescue...he went up the ladder. They were afraid of him and fled. Then I could go up and work in peace.

Went to Lowe's tonight for more mortar. Noticed that they had a dozen pairs of clippers. Too late, losers!

The garage wall 9X11ft mosaic is finally coming to an end. I got the top border up today. While I worked, three green inole lizards sat on the wall and watched me work. They were good company, very cute. Then I realized that they lived in small holes that I would have tiled over tomorrow. So I modified the plan and embelished their hole homes instead. It should come out cute.

The quisquallis plant in the west corner is a pest, but we admire that it survives at all so pruning will be minimal.

The raised scaffold was not much of a problem, but I hurt my knees climbing down the ladder. Up is OK, but down hurts.

If any mosaicists read this, have you ever had red glass gems fracture internally after application? I have had that happen on 2 applications now. All the other colors seem OK but not the red. Clues?

I am very tired tonight. It was the first good weather day in months and I spent myself in it.

Poor Jake. He was setting my scaffolding higher so that I can finish work on the garage wall tomorrow. He managed to crush a tree frog and it made a pathetic squeak as it died. All the frustration inside me over the sad state of arts education burst and I yelled at him. "Frog killer." Poor Jake. I apologized later and we had a long talk.

I am not going to teach the kids any thing on mosaics. Suzy has her methods and I need to keep out of it. Besides I might go off on the fat coach again. Why would he fail to back up a veteran teacher and defend the chickies?

I got my SAMA newsletter today and wish again that I could go to some workshops, but eventually they'll schedule on the east coast and I can go. I wish they had run the article on the mosaic wall at THS but they'll get that in soon I guess.

I signed up for Friends of the Duncan Art Museum yesterday. I listed us as Dr. and Mrs...Hope they don't think us as hooty for it. It's just that last year Stetson refused to acknowledge my existence. Jake's name got listed on all the brochures and I was left out. Aren't I being petty? Sometimes the art world can be pretty petty.

I was unloading mosaic supplies at the art room when the din in the hall escalated to a roar. My teacher friend opened the door and yelled at the group of girls to quiet down since students were taking semester exams in 2 of the classways along the hall. The girls laughed at her and one said, "Yeah, Right"

The OBESE< FAT coach stuck his head out of his classroom and said"It's Okay, they're the girls soccer team"

See, Bobby, see how evil spreads? Coaches at the high school level make excuses for bad behavior, because after all sports is king. Are you proud of yourself, Bowden?
We have teenage girls acting chaotically and their coach doesn't try to correct them, he defends, ie encourages them.

I said,"It's Coach's job to get them ready to go to FSU where they can act immorrally."

My friend had disciplined a football player 2 weeks ago for calling her a bitch to her face. The result? The football team came into the hall when my friend was alone on the hall and bashed lockers. Proud of yourself Bobby? It's OK, they're future Criminoles!


I hope the entire girls soccer team turns into check out girls at Winn Dixie. Dead end low paying jobs where they can sit around and recall the glory days of sports. Well educated and well behaved? Not this bunch of hopeless ninnies.

Companion piece is completely finished, but there's a little problem. I set it on my fireplace mantle and put some flowers in it and love it too much to sell it. What now?

I made a little 4 inch terra cotta flower pot for the April show. It is fun but can't even be considered art or new skill. Used bubble gems and glass...work fast...get paid.

Made a decision on how to finish Prometheus. Since I have a ton of Bissaza glass, I'll just use it up.

Jake helped me add a reflector to my door stop...another quick sale item.

And I decided to toss one of the Sputnik series. I had learned a lot of new techniques after that piece was underway and it just didn't meet new standards.

It hit 91 degrees today. I hate fall in Florida knowing that it's chilly in Boston.

I read in todays Arts Section of the newspaper about an artist who paints 20 pictures to sell each month! I have a show in April 2004. I need to make a minimum of one piece per week for that show. It won't get done especially with Suzanne's party coming at the end of December.
Searching Google, I see that someone owns the domain name mosaicmom.com. I wonder who she is? I like her work. It looks cheerful, especially the bird statue.
I can't wait to get finished with glass and get back to some good old ceramic.

Last night I ran into a friend at the YMCA who says her sister is a mosaic artist. I couldn't find her website today, but I can't wait to see her work. She is in Tampa.

I have to grout the companion piece and start dremmelling it. I also have to organize some class notes for lecture Thursday. Suzy said the copy office is way behind, so I'll just run copies myself.

I was going to go up to Dollar Tree and get sponges for the kids, but my back is totally killing me today. Maybe from pushing the lawn mower yesterday? I'll do that chore tomorrow.

I roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes for our supper tonight. A real fall treat. I wish it were cooler than 87 degrees outside.

Three weeks ago I visited Lowe's and specifically asked the man in the tile department if he would have 10 prs of nippers on hand when I needed them Oct. 16th. He assured me that they always had nippers in stock and no special order was needed.

Well campers, of course they had only 4 pairs today when I went to buy them for the class Thursday and they said a special order would take 10 days. GRRRRR!

So I had to go across the street to Home Depot. They had the clippers. Not too much price difference, but Home Depot is such a filthy store. I always feel like I need to wash after I've shopped there. Why don't they clean that place?

I took 35 pieces of the 12 inch squares of Durarock over to THS this afternoon. Also took pre made panels in Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Victorian and ceramic styles. Suzy says the 2nd period class has lost focus since they had a substitute teacher last week. Suzy was in Scotland for her daughter's wedding. Anyway, this class will need to get focused before they are given hammers and tiles.
Later in the day Jake and I went to the mall for some Christmas shopping but came home with nothing since we weren't sure of sizes.
I'm not sure if I'll mosaic tomorrow or go shop for supplies for the high school class. Tune in.

On the way to the Y , 4X8 ft panels of insulation board were flying off a truck wreaking havoc with traffic. There's a sign at the end of the road that says "Pigs for sale". I stopped at such a sign once when I was 16 and for 5 dollars, bought a cute pig...oh my God, I think the type of pig was durrock...just like durarock...but anyway the cute piglet became a huge unmanageable pet within 2 weeks and was given to a local farmer. Pig's name was Sir Francis Bacon.
So I came home from the Y and went back to mosaics and immediately rammed a yellow glass shard into my left ring finger. I quit.

I cut my little pinkie on my right hand on the blue glass tiles first thing this morning. I bled all over the art work, all over my blouse and finally went and got a bandaid. Grrr!
I am going to the Y this afternoon to unwind on the treadmill instead of fighting glass tiles anymore today.

Here's a poem I wrote 9/4/01

Mr. Bland's a mowin'
So the rain's a gonna come.
The clicking of the tedder
Always brings the raindrops on.

Bales o' hay sit waitin'
For the ride down to the shed
And Mr Bland's a wipin'
All them raindrops off his head.

Mr Bland is mowing and teddering the hay. My allergies are going wild.
I got Blue Moon very far along and finished all the tiling on Companion piece in one day. It rained today, to the salvation of my sinuses and the ruination of Mr Bland's crop.

I got a lot done today. Finished the chin on "Blue Moon" (used silicon adhesive), Started "Prometheus" (used mortar), Got the LAST!!! dremel on Tall Butterscotch Vase, and started a companion piece for Butterscotch Vase because the decorator wanted 2 pieces to coordinate in that space. I am using an orange venetian glass. Used Mastic to apply it and got messy. It just seemed to ooze everywhere and I had to spend too much time cleaning up. Yech.
Had some leftover mortar so decided to add a few pieces to the wall. But ever since my accident, I'm afraid of the scaffolding, so I quickly got one tile on then climbed off. That will have to wait.

Today was the Central Florida Z Car Club Fall Picnic up at Trimble Park. Jake was so happy to show off his restored 240 Z, the Green Bean. The exterior is awesome.Hope all the interior work will be done for the state show in February.

After the picnic, I worked on the Butterscotch Tall Vase. It's no picnic because everytime I dremel, the bits of Bissarro glass fall off. Grrr.
I am also making progress on Blue Moon, a piece in Venetian glass to go in our outhouse.
I can't wait till Casey or Ian come to visit again and I can hire them to upgrade my blog for pictures! This is fun.

Ian and Helen are here this evening doing laundry. No mosaics tonight although Jake and I did get more Durarock cut for the high school mosaic class next week. Ian tells me that the word "durarock" sounds like the Russian word for "fool". That will amuse the high schoolers next week.

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