A Salford mosaic artist has used gold glass, 24-carat gold pieces, precious gems, diamond dust - and a chopped up champagne bottle to create a piece of art fit for a Queen. The piece took a year on and off to complete.
Thirty-five-year old David Arnott used 43 precious gemstones including sapphires, amethyst, rubies and aquamarines to complete his latest work to mark the Platinum Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II. To top it all, the artist, best known for his iconic pieces depicting celebrity culture, has learned that his 3ft x 3ft mosaic of the St Edward’s Crown – the crown worn by the Queen in her 1953 coronation, may even be seen by the Queen herself.
The expensively bejewelled mosaic was painstakingly created using a wealth of materials and David, who has a four-year-old daughter, even cut up a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne for the green elements within his design. Well-known for the hours of research he puts into his art before beginning the meticulous task of cutting and fitting the thousands of tiny pieces, David wrote to the royal household for some background history on the St Edward’s Crown.
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“They were amazingly helpful,” said David. “I wasn’t even expecting a reply, but they pointed me in the right direction to get all the information I needed to produce something very different. I didn’t realise how much interesting history was behind this crown.
"Fingers crossed that the finished piece is fit for the Queen. The finished piece took a very long time,” said David. “But although it was probably my most tasking piece yet, it was very enjoyable to do, and the process even increased my admiration for the Queen”.
"I was asked if I wanted to send an image to the Queen herself, which I have done and I am hoping she might reply. To know the Queen had seen it would mean everything, it would be amazing - I mean, she's the Queen isn't she?"
The piece was created for Clarendon Fine Art, the largest gallery chain in the UK, which sells art from the likes of Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali, as well as many of David’s other iconic mosaic works. David was supplied with adhesive, grout and sealant products from the aptly named Liverpool firm ‘Palace’ Chemicals.
Charles Clapham, Managing Director of Palace Chemicals, said: “We’re extremely proud to play a role in the completion of David’s masterpieces. To learn that his Jubilee crown mosaic might even be seen by the Queen herself really is icing on the cake. What a very special way to mark a very special occasion”.
