I Love the shape of his head and mouth.

loribee2, it is really looking GREAT. It will be an amazing piece when you get it finished. The shape is very nice. You are doing such a GOOD job on it. Can't wait to see the finished product.

WOW! Zowie!!! Looks Awesome! I just noticed that you did not double up on the wire mesh on the "fins", this might be too flimsy if you don't, especially if you decide to mosaic this,it needs to be strong to support any weight. Just a suggestion...LOVE the copper accents!

Thanks! And Calamity, thanks for the tips on the fins. I appreciate all the help I can get!

WOW WOW WOW - is that ever gonna be a doozy!!! Love everything about it. This w/be soooooo much fun to watch.

Amazing! fun to watch the project.
Kathy

Thanks, ladies! I soooo wish I could get out of work today to go finish this guy off then start in on the mortar. I can't wait! I woke up at 4:00 a.m. thinking about how I'll reinforce the fins, and what colors I should use on the tiles. I think that qualifies as an obsession. LOL

Yep - you're hooked. Re reinforcement on the fins - do what CALAM suggested - another layer of the lath. You can turn in the edges on the ones already on, then b/f you sew on the second layer, fold the edges in - I like to "hem" those small pieces for easy mortar application - no wires sticking up. I'm so anxious to see you work on this.

Agree with everything said already. This is an amazing project and love how you are sharing with us all. What are your plans after mortaring?

becky

Thanks, Becky! And thanks for asking me what my plans are after mortaring. Seriously, I read that last night and thought, "Oh, crap. I really should start ordering tile samples!" LOL

My plan is to mosaic him, so I sat down last night and picked out the following from Wits End:

Then after I sent the letter of asking for samples, I remembered that Wits End wasn't the store I bought my last tiles from. Those came from Mosaic Art Supply, which doesn't have quite the selection of Wits End, but they're prices are way more reasonable. So I ordered samples of what they have too. I'll look at everything I get then make decisions.

I want some shimmer, and I want it to look like he's got scales. But the idea of shaping every tile into a "scale" is a little overwhelming, so I'll have to play with patterns.

Anyone have thoughts on how many sq feet of tile I would need to cover this puppy? I don't think I'll tile his underside (the pieces that will sit on the ground) unless people think I should for some reason.

Here is a link that might be useful: loribees garden blog

Beautiful colors. I think it will be stunning!
Kathy

Well, I'm a little disappointed that I still haven't received a response from Wits End. Per their instructions, I'd sent them an e-mail with the samples I was interested in and asked them how much it would cost and how to pay. No reply, and it's after 4:00 on the east coast.

Conversely, Mosaic Art Supply has an order form for samples right on their web page. (And heck, blocks of 25 tiles are only 60 cents each, so I usually end up just buying a small supply). I submitted to both companies last night, and MAS has already shipped my order.

I'm afraid price plus the wait might bump Wits End out of the running for my order (just in case anyone from their company is out there listening! hehe)