(3) Installation day

August 11, 2011

Today was very humid in Florida. Yesterday's torrential rains (almost 2 inches in Fort Myers!) left it wet and buggy. The mosquitoes were on me like white on rice within the first 20 minutes of being at the Calusa Nature Center. Once the sun came out they disappeared, thankfully.

The humidity was a bit of a challenge during today's install. The walls were moist in the morning and the humidity in the air was softening the glue on some of the mosaics. I did a lot of repairing and regluing.

The installation

I laid the mosaics out on the floor so I could see what I was working with. Most of the remaining butterflies are large so I decided to just group them on the columns in no particular pattern. (I had contemplated doing a heart shaped cloud but decided against it.)

I added a few butterflies to the side wall and untaped the large yellow fused glass butterfly that cured overnight. I still have a few more that will go towards the bottom.

I started on the third wall using artist Michele Follger's large butterfly as the anchor and added butterflies until it was quitting time. I will continue adding more until the column is filled close to the bottom.

Then I put a few mosaics on the wall opposite this one. More will be added. If you look towards the bottom you can see artist Helen Schloss-Griffin's flying pig. The creature is made from white and cream colored glass so he sort of blends in here but he will pop once I grout it with the dark grout.

(The flying pig was a favorite of a 12 year old volunteer that has been working there this week...he also loved Wesley Wong's blue fused butterfly.)

Here's a photo of all the walls that are done. It's looking pretty snazzy, right?

I'm taking tomorrow off to get my three unfinished mosaics done. I have a sign for the mural, my son's Dragon-fly and the big alligator to do. I'll be back on Monday to begin again.

Today's Observations

I watched a beautiful Zebra Longwing butterfly in the aviary this morning. It's the Florida State Butterfly and the inspiration behind my Glam Rock butterflies.

I didn't take this photo

I had lunch with a polydactyl cat who liked turkey sandwiches...and camera lenses...yet was too wily to get a decent photo of.

Meow

And I spent a fair amount of time pining over Buffalo Bill, my favorite Sulcata Tortoise.

Sunning his back legs!

More progress photos tomorrow.