I hate removing glue...

Whoever came up with the formula that is used to adhere Lyric unglazed porcelain tile to its mesh should be forced to go thru the motions to remove it like I've been having to do.

Stuff almost gains a life of it's own and removing it requires soaking the tile in hot water - then scraping off the large bits - then letting it soak overnight to soften the smaller bits, then getting those off. Nasty - but the hot water does wonders for the cuticles.

I have masked off most of the current piece with painter's tape, worked through three grout tests and have come up with a plan for the horse's face. Grouting-as-you-go is complicated - but the results are well worth it. Hopefully, tomorrow I will be taking it outside to grout and then I can move into putting the star and main color of the horse down to above the breastcollar.

I will also be going shopping for substrate for at least one other project - again - it will be using mostly Lyric. Fun stuff to work with - once you get the glue off. Looking forward to getting my Starrett cutters in next week... that should put a real cap on it.

I went out this morning to the Gasparilla Art Fest. Interesting... there was only one mosaic artist out of over 300 booths. After that, we went to the art toy store [Pearl] and I picked up new acrylic brushes and some other bits and pieces that I needed. Wish it were closer.