An artist creates mosaic portraits of famous figures like Gandhi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Queen Elizabeth II - using pebbles.<br /><br />Justin Bateman, 47, first started making abstract art in 2018 using organic materials before moving to portraits.<br /><br />He came up with the idea on a random day after tracing the outline of his bicycle with pebbles.<br /><br />Since then Justin has created over 100 pieces and laid over a million pebbles in total. <br /><br />He's created the portraits of footballers, singers, politicians and many more.<br /><br />Justin's technique is a slog and it can take up to five weeks to complete a single portrait. <br /><br />Justin, a full time artist from Portsmouth, Hampshire, spends hours scouting the best locations for stones, which he marks on Google Maps.<br /><br />He said: "Sometimes the stones in a particular location suggest an appropriate subject.<br /><br />"At other times the location is selected according to criteria such as proximity, layout, stone composition and urban or natural aesthetics.<br /><br />"If a suitable location and stones present themselves I will try to make the work.<br /><br />"I assess a subject's characteristics relating these to the types of stone I will use, simultaneously assessing the scale of stone and textural qualities required."<br /><br />Justin's art is physically demanding. He can spend hours at a time on the floor creating his portraits. <br /><br />He said: "I find making the work very tiring because once I begin a piece, all of my energy and focus goes into its completion.<br /><br />"The work has taken its toll on my body. I still work directly on the floor for long periods of time."<br /><br />Each piece can take can take between three days and five weeks to create depending on the size and complexity.<br /><br />He added: "The simplicity of the final outcome is deceptive because it takes a huge amount of time to conduct research, prepare colour maps, collect stones, complete the work and then photograph.<br /><br />"Each piece takes between a few weeks to well over a month to complete.<br /><br />"Sometimes I will remake them countless times using different stones to find the right combination. "<br /><br />Justin chooses his subjects based on suggestions from his social media followers and his personal interest in their faces rather than the personality of the subject.<br /><br />He said: "My subjects do not represent my spiritual beliefs, opinions or political persuasions; they are not about good or bad, right or wrong.<br /><br />"The subject is simply a collection of characteristics, an opportunity to explore materiality in new ways with measurable criteria."<br /><br />Despite the effort, Justin does not monetise the majority of his work as he has values the impermanence of his work.<br /><br />He said: "At first I chose not to monetise anything at all, I kept my capitalist and creative tendencies very separate.<br /><br />"Sometimes I accept commissions or requests, if the timing is right or they align with my own intuition as something that should be made.<br /><br />"Not more than 10% of my work becomes permanent."
