British artist Justin Bateman produces ephemeral artwork using collected pebbles and stones using the wild outdoors as his canvas. Now based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the artist builds elaborate pebble masterpieces on shores, in forests, besides trains, and atop mountains.
Each natural-colored stone functions as a separate brush stroke or mark that contributes to the overall image. On Instagram, Bateman states unequivocally, “Pebbles are my Pixels.”
From renowned people to great pieces of art, each artwork reflects the personality of its subject in a limited color combination of Stoney colors. Bateman’s pictures are never completely preplanned since he uses collected stones. Rather, he allows the stones to govern the composition of the piece.
Despite the fact that art should always be unrestricted, he argues that he finds independence within its limitations. “Utilizing this method, I have no idea how an artwork will come out.”
Several of Bateman’s pebble portraitures take many days to finish, yet the artist never becomes attached to his work. He is influenced by Tibetan monks’ spiritual practices, in which they make incredibly complex mandalas out of the sand and subsequently demolish them.
This technique serves as a reminder of the transience of life, a concept that Bateman also examines. The most fulfilling aspect of his works for him is realizing that the materials he uses will someday be reclaimed by nature. His effort is brief, leaving just footprints.
Although every mosaic will inevitably vanish, Bateman photographs his work as a digital record. And, fortunately for us, this enables us to appreciate his work’s remarkable intricacies.
Each pebble picture resembles a sepia-toned or grayscale image, with warming shadows and delicate highlights reproduced in stones. It’s amazing how so much depth of information Bateman can accomplish with only pebbles.
Check out Bateman’s pebble art below, then visit his website to see more of his work.
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