Day Thirty Six

Today I continued with coloring grout and filling in. Once I get the color I want, I rub it in using first the metal trowel, then the small make-up sponge, then my fingers if necessary. I am trying to control the grout in very narrow places at times such as up the stems. My fingers work best, either with rubber surgical gloves on or off, depending on happenstance. There is a lot of hand rinsing anyway. After applying the grout I have to let it set up for about a half an hour - usually I work on another area and then go back when the grout that has slopped on top of adjacent tiles looks lighter, indicating it is dry. I am excited by the opportunity I have now to enrich the design by using color in the cracks. Often I stop and sit back, just staring at the mosaic, imagining interstitial color possibilities.

The heart-shaped motif here has 3 grout colors worked in.

I use acrylics to achieve the colors.

Here are the rags - damp and dry - for cleaning up and the small sponge, the containers etc.