The Golden Egg
Showcased next to an egg-shaped handbag worth $6.7 million made by Debbie Wingham – who is famed for creating a series of ‘world’s most expensive’ items for billionaires in Dubai and beyond – at a catwalk event in Los Angeles, the latest creation by mosaic artist David Arnott fashioned a mosaic egg handbag out of more than 2,000 pieces of ceramic tile, £30,000 worth of 24-carat gold tile, Swarovski crystals, diamond dust, and a real black diamond.
But Arnott says the job may never have been a success without advice from Palace Chemicals and the brand’s MS Polymer High Strength Grab & Fix. As one can imagine, sticking tile to an egg is no easy task. Indeed, Arnott fell at the first hurdle, as the morning after sticking ceramics to a 12in plastic egg, using a strong PVA glue, he found the tiles had fallen off. So Arnott rang Steve Ball, Commercial Director at Palace Chemicals, who advised him to scratch up the surface to make for a better bond, and to then use Palace Grab & Fix.
The handbags were showcased at a catwalk by Chile brand Oui Oui bags, which was organised by Wingham and featured designers from all over the world, including Gary James McQueen, nephew of Alexander McQueen. The black diamond was won by a 12-year-old guest in a competition. “Debbie said she was doing something a little bit crazy,” said Arnott. Wingham asked him if he could mosaic over an emu egg, but Arnott said he thought it would crack under the pressure, and came up with the plastic egg substitute. Arnott, who has been a mosaic designer for 13 years, said: “I had a bit of a nightmare at the very beginning. I was using a strong PVA glue and trying to bond it directly to the egg. I left it overnight but in the morning knocked it over by accident and it came apart.”
Arnott said he “panicked” and rang Steve Ball, explaining that he only had three to four weeks to complete the piece and transport it to the States. “Steve said to ‘rough’ up the surface and use Grab & Fix as it will grip to anything. I stuck it on and left it ’til the morning after. I grabbed a piece of tile and could lift the egg straight in the air.” “Steve definitely came to the rescue. I think it would have been ‘game over’. Maybe I would have had to have made the egg out of wood otherwise. I don’t think there’s anything on the market that would have been able to grip to it as well as Grab & Fix. I’ve got a pot of it right next to my bench: any problems and now I just reach for that pot.” Arnott also used Laticrete Spectralock Pro Premium Grout on the piece. He had also used Grab & Fix when he collaborated with Wingham on the world’s most expensive roulette table, which featured $4.5 million worth of diamonds.
Wingham praised Arnott on instagram, saying: “the beautiful mosaic egg is the largest out of the collection,” adding: “I love how it turned out. David always manages to deliver my redick ideas!” Arnott, who hails from Manchester, is proud of his latest piece, saying: “I think it’s in a different arena, because it’s fashion. You don’t see mosaic cross over to fashion.” Palace Grab & Fix MS Polymer Adhesive provides fixing performance of the highest possible standard by combining unique instant grab consistency with the latest MS polymer technology to ensure instant high strength bonding across the most difficult and diverse range of surfaces. It has initial bond strength double that of most other grab adhesives, and does not require secondary support for most typically encountered high load bearing applications. It can be used internally or externally or even during damp conditions onto wet surfaces, is solvent-free and is available in white or clear.
Laticrete Spectralock Premium Grout is a patented, high performance epoxy grout that offers excellent colour uniformity, durability, stain protection, and beautiful, full grout joints in an easy-to-use, non-sag formula. It is designed for use with ceramic tile, glass tile and stone applications, both residential and commercial. It can be used on both interior and exterior on floors and walls. Ideal for re-grouting applications, Laticrete Spectralock Pro Premium Grout is perfect for swimming pools, fountains and other wet area applications. Palace Chemicals has a fantastic relationship with numerous mosaic artists, offering support and sponsorship, in some cases. Steve Ball said: “When David rang me up explaining his quandary, it seemed a simple solution to suggest. I’m so glad that we were able to ensure another of David’s fantastic creations was able to come to fruition.”
Click here to learn more about Grab & Fix.