STONE me! An artist recreates famous faces from Shakespeare to David Bowie using only pebbles.
Art teacher Justin Bateman, 46, of Portsmouth, Hants, has created 60 mosaic-style masterpieces.
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He has depicted figures as diverse as Cupid and Robert De Niro, ranging in size from one square meter to eight.
Each face can last up to five weeks at a time and it mainly works in the UK and Thailand.
Currently in Thailand, Bateman said: “The location is quite opportunistic – if I find a fairly flat location with rocks nearby, I log it into my google Cards.
“I also bury rocks in locations that I will visit again, marking their color palette on my map as a stock for future use – kind of like a squirrel with its acorns.
“I’m a minimalist, so it’s really helpful to have a ready-made canvas, easel, and palette on the floor.
“They are very time consuming. They vary greatly… This really depends on how cooperative the stones are.
“For a little one, choosing the location and collecting stones takes a few days.
“If the piece works easily, it will take between three and 12 days to make. Larger pieces can take four or five weeks.
“Once the subject has become known, my attention begins to filter the world by stone type/colour/size, locations, weather/lighting conditions and accessibility.
“When these elements align, I’m going to collect stones. Once I have enough bricks to complete my subject’s eyes, I run an experiment to see if the piece will work.
“If the eyes don’t work, I rethink the elements or drop the piece.
“Most people are very surprised to see my work. Some appreciate the fact that it references traditional art forms with a more contemporary approach, some because it celebrates the possibility of the everyday and others because of its aesthetics.”
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