All Hands Art

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Week 20: In honor of "Grouting Week"

Here's a glimpse into my work life: Last week was "Grouting Week" here in HandyGal Land. The main accomplishment was grouting the new 37-foot-long section of the PEACE STARTS HERE mosaic mural at Bret Harte Middle School. Then on Friday after grouting a little section of tiles at Bella Vista Park, I went around town with my leftover mixture of natural gray and hit 3 more spots that were in need of touching up or finishing. Soon I was grouting by the light of the street lamps, then by the dim light of my flashlight. Crazy, maybe, but: 1) I hate wasting materials, and 2) these things needed to get done! This Color-a-Week entry is a mini tour of mosaic murals I've shepherded (or co-shepherded) to completion around Oakland in the past 3 years. I've grouped shots of "before," some stage "during," and "after," so you get a peek at the process. For a more complete tour, check out the Murals section of my website, here:

http://www.handygaloakland.com/Site/Murals/Murals.html

 

You know, this two-year-long project at Bret Harte was so involved that I've decided it merits its own post—plus this one is long enough already! Tune in next week for the official unveiling of "PEACE STARTS HERE"...