A LIVERPOOL artist is amassing a huge business directory that will double up as a work of art.

David Gillooley, an illustrator and designer from Aigburth, hatched the plan just last month, but already has more than 500 city business people on board.

His concept revolves around reusing Liverpool’s iconic waterfront.

He said: "Each pixel in the image will be a business card.

"If you were to zoom in on the Liverbird sitting on top of the Liver building, for example, you’d see someone’s business card.

"Initially, entering your card for the collage will cost £1, but I imagine there might later be a bidding war for prime locations like the beak of one of the birds."

Each £1 sale, the 46-year-old artist said, will generate 50p for Merseyside charities.

Zoe’s Place, Roy Castle’s Lung Cancer Foundation and Royal Broadgreen Radio, where he presents a regular show, have already signed up.

"I wanted to fuse the idea of art sponsorship, charity work and business promotion in one project and this was the idea," he said

"This will be the unique to Liverpool and I’m hoping that each of the firms and businesses in the picture will get involved."

It is an onerous undertaking.

Mr Gillooley will form a one- man outfit producing the photograph, converting it into the online directory and eventually a large-scale work of art fit for auction.

He will have to take a shot from New Brighton, then canvass each business himself before photographing each business card and sending it by bluetooth to his Apple Mac, where he will finally add them to a vast grid in the shape of the skyline.