Colourful mosaics reimagine master artworks and pop culture icons

David explains his process: “When I have chosen a design I will tile directly onto a board or onto mesh, using an image to follow. A bit like a dry stone waller, I always try to use the piece of mosaic I pick up – otherwise you would never finish a work.

“My inspiration comes from things that mean something to me, my favourite films, cars, art and album covers. It takes about two to three days to complete a smaller piece. The materials are wood or mesh, PVA glue and Johnson Tiles. The grout is usually silver to provide the mosaics some contrast.

“I like using Johnson Tiles products because of the range of colours and finishes, and the way the tiles cut, lots of other tiles when using nippers don’t cut straight, whereas Johnson Tiles products do.

“I love the matt pale blue tile that I have used on the Matisse Blue Nude, this was a particularly unusual colour and it’s a perfect match to the original design.”

One such artist that favours the range is David O’Brien of Big and Small Mosaics. Based in Bickerstaffe, Lancashire, David was first introduced to the art of mosaic making during a visit to Barcelona with wife Kim in 1998. His first foray resulted in a recreation of the famous Velvet Underground album cover designed by Andy Warhol – a project O’Brien undertook with his 11-year-old daughter, Olivia. The duo then became Big and Small Mosaics.