View this post on Instagram
Every artist has their favorite material to create with, and for British artist Justin Bateman, it’s pebbles. He travels around Thailand, Indonesia, and the UK creating surprisingly detailed portraits of people and animals using found stones.
Bateman’s stone mosaics are carefully placed on beaches, in parks, and on forest floors—right where the pebbles are sourced. Each installation is crafted using a technique similar to pointillist painting, where every pebble or stone serves as a dot of color or brushstroke in a spectrum of natural hues, blending to create a unified image. Bateman explains, “My work often relies on a phenomena called simultaneous contrast, whereby the eye blends adjacent colors to create a more consistent impression as the stones are grouped together.”
The land artist’s most impressive works draw inspiration from renowned masterpieces, such as his intricate pebble rendition of Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait and Botticelli’s Primavera. However, his latest work focuses on creating pebble portraits of people, including famous figures he admires, as well as animals like a lion, a monkey, a cat, and a Shiba Inu.
Many of Bateman’s pebble pieces take several hours or even days to complete, but they don’t remain intact for long. Each delicate, temporary artwork gradually erodes, as the stones naturally blend back into their surroundings. The artist explains, “My work is impermanent, I leave only footprints.”
Check out some of Bateman’s latest works below and find more on Instagram.
British artist Justin Bateman uses found pebbles to create highly detailed portraits of people, animals, and famous works of art.
Each work is crafted using a technique similar to pointillist painting, where every stone serves as a sort of pixel in a spectrum of natural hues, blending to create a unified image.
Many of Bateman’s pebble pieces take several hours or even days to complete, but they don’t remain intact for long.
Each delicate, temporary artwork gradually erodes, as the stones naturally blend back into their surroundings.
Watch how Bateman gradually creates his pieces from found pebbles.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Justin Bateman: Website | Facebook | Instagram
Related Articles:
Artist Recreates Famous Works of Art on the Beach Using Colorful Pebbles
Land Artist Leaves Incredible Mosaics Made Entirely of Pebbles All Around Thailand
Land Artist Arranges Stunning Square Compositions With Found Rocks
Interview: Ephemeral Land Art by a Man Who Discovered His Creativity in Nature