BAL – market leaders in full tiling solutions – have teamed up with international mosaic artist Natalie Guy for art and design charity fundraising project BowWow Haus London 2018.
BowWow Haus London is a fundraising and creative collaboration between pet charity Blue Cross, American not-for-profit organisation Outdoor Arts Foundation and photographer Drew Gardener.
A network of architects, designers and artists – including Natalie – are creating bespoke dog kennels to be displayed throughout London for the first ever auction of artistic dog kennels in Britain.
More than 75 one-off dog kennels will go on show at several London venues, including St Pancras International and will be available to buy at a charity gala auction on 26th April or via online bids.
Inspirational names already on board include the internationally famous Zaha Hadid Architects, and multi-award winning designers Denizen Works.
Natalie has designed a teepee shaped dog kennel featuring over 540 mosaic white flowers and buds, inspired by spring. The kennel has been grouted in BAL Micromax2 Gunmetal, kindly donated by the Stoke-on-Trent-based manufacturer.
Rapid-setting and highly flexible, BAL Micromax2 is formulated with built-in Microban antimicrobial protection. Suitable for walls and floors, for joint widths from 1mm to 20mm, BAL Micromax2 sets in two to three hours, enabling faster completion. An efflorescence-free formulation also minimises any risk of patchy discolouration.
Natalie said: “I have mosaiced this uniquely designed dog kennel with over 2,500 hand cut petals to form this delicate design. I used BAL Micromax2 grout as it offers the perfect solution for grouting the 1mm spacing at the centre of the flower, but also allows me to grout the bigger spaces between the flowers. No other grout offers this performance and it is a dream to use. I have used this grout for all mosaic projects including much bigger commercial mosaics and wouldn’t use anything else now”
Alex Underwood, Head of Marketing at BAL, said: “We’re delighted to be able to support Natalie in this fantastic project supporting Blue Cross which helps sick, injured, abandoned and homeless pets each year.
“Natalie’s dog kennel looks absolutely stunning, and with BAL Micromax2 Grout providing the perfect finish, we’re sure it will stand out from the crowd and pull in a big bid at the auction.”