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Land Artist Leaves Incredible Mosaics Made Entirely of Pebbles All Around Thailand

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“David #2”

Using the natural landscape as his canvas, British artist Justin Bateman creates impermanent artwork from found pebbles and stones. The artist now lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he leaves detailed pebble portraits on beaches, in forests, by railways, and up mountains. Each natural-colored stone acts as an individual paint stroke or mark that’s integral to the overall image. On Instagram Bateman plainly says, “Pebbles are my Pixels.”

From famous faces to iconic works of art, each piece captures the character of its subject in a restricted color palette of stoney hues. By using found pebbles, Bateman never truly plans his portraits in advance. Rather, he lets the stones themselves dictate the composition of the artwork. “Art should always be unrestricted, yet in its limits I find freedom,” he says. “The beauty of this process is that I don't have any idea how a piece will look at the outset.”

Many of Bateman’s pebble portraits take several days to complete, but the artist doesn’t become attached to the work he creates. He’s inspired by spiritual practices of Tibetan monks, who create highly detailed mandalas from sand and then destroy them. This practice is a reminder of the impermanence of life, which is a theme Bateman explores, too. For him, the most satisfying part of his work is knowing that nature will eventually reclaim the materials he uses. He says, “My work is impermanent, I leave only footprints.”

Although each mosaic will eventually disappear, Bateman takes photos of his work as a digital reminder. And lucky for us, this allows us to admire the impressive details of his work. Each pebble portrait looks almost like a sepia-toned or grayscale photograph, complete with warm shadows and pale highlights rendered in stones. It’s incredible how much depth and detail Bateman can achieve with pebbles alone.

Check out Bateman’s pebble art below and find more from his portfolio on his website.

British artist Justin Bateman creates impermanent artwork from found pebbles.

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“La Scapigliata”

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“La Scapigliata”

Each naturally colored stone acts as a paint stroke or pixel.

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“Lady from Lombok”

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“The King IX”

The artist’s pebble art can be found on the beaches and forests of Thailand.

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“Fisherman”

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“Fisherman”

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“Refugee”

Bateman captures famous faces…

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

Robert De Niro

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“George Washingstone”

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“George Washingstone”

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

Sir David Attenborough

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

Sir David Attenborough

…and iconic artwork.

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“Mona Lisa”

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“Mona Lisa”

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“Girl with a Pearl Earring”

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“Rembrandt”

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“The Birth of Venus”

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

It’s incredible how much depth and detail he can achieve with pebbles alone.

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“Pebble Picasso”

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“Ho Chi Minh”

Pebble Portraits by Justin Bateman

“Cherub”

Justin Bateman: Website | Facebook | Instagram
h/t: [Laughing Squid]

All images via Justin Bateman.

Related Articles:

Artist Recreates Famous Works of Art on the Beach Using Colorful Pebbles

Artist Creates Charming Animal Sculptures From Found Seashells at the Beach

Artist Uses Sand and Stones to Create Land Art Masterpieces at His Local Beach

Land Artist Arranges Stones and Leaves Into Mesmerizing Mandalas and Spirals

Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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