(3) Grout day

August 27, 2011

Today was grout day number 3!

It was very humid in south Florida today thanks to Hurricane Irene. The temperature reached 95 but it felt like 105. It was quite possibly the most uncomfortable work day that I've had since I started the Butterfly Project...but it was an interesting Saturday.

My son and his friend came along to volunteer and I watched them trying to remove Webster, the center's resident skunk, from under the chicken coop. It took three Junior Naturalists, another volunteer and a hose to coax the little guy out from under the enclosure.

Here's my son with my favorite Sulcata Tortoise, Buffalo Bill!

© 2011 Eve O.

Grouting the mosaics

There was a lot more going on today and many more visitors than during the week so I was a bit distracted but I grouted a bunch of the mosaics on one of the side walls in spite of all that.

Here is Cindy Buhrig's "Optic Drop butterfly". Looks like M&M's to me!

© 2011 Cindy Buhrig

And Sharon Olson's butterfly that I applied over the rounded edge of the wall. The butterfly has a lot of clear iridized glass in it and it just lights up with the sun hits it. Wrapping it around the edge of the wall enhances the effect.

© 2011 

Kate Rattray's "Sunset Butterfly" looks amazing with the black grout. She picked the most wonderful colors and the strips of gold mirror make her butterfly come alive.

© 2011 Kate Rattray

Leonidas Yennadiou's "Cypriot butterfly" is another of my favorites on this wall. The unglazed porcelain tiles that he used gives his butterfly a classic look.

© 2011 Leonidas Yennadiou

Here are pics from the remainder of the butterflies that I got grouted today...

© 2011 

© 2011 Jessey Lucas

© 2011 Maria Alvarez-Lundie

© 2011 Beth Wiirre

© 2011 Chris Emmert

© 2011 

Today's notes

• There have been a lot of interested visitors buzzing around the butterflies. The kids love them and are instantly drawn to their favorites. Helen Schloss-Griffin's pig with wings gets a lot of attention from little guests.

• Two high school students stopped to talk to me about the project this afternoon. They were enthusiastic and interested in art. Two of my favorite qualities! They would have made great assistants but I thought that throwing them into the mix on grout day was a little mean spirited.

I'll likely be back at the center sometime next week to finish the grouting. I am so anxious to have it all done!

I'll leave you with a pic of Buffalo Bill basking in a shaded spot. I just love the little spikes he has on his back legs! ♥

©  2011