US-based toy inventor Steve Casino, 48, has spent almost two years turning peanut shells into these tiny figures. He has made almost 100 of the tiny four-inch statuettes to date including well-known stars like Elvis Presley, David Bowie and even Albert Einstein.Others include Elton John, Johnny Depp, Jimi Hendrix and Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul.
Steve is also a fan of superheroes, and has made many figurines of Batman and Robin, Superman and Captain America. His intricate designs are painted in acrylic paint and feature bamboo skewers as limbs. They can often take up to 20 hours to create.
Steve – a self-proclaimed ‘Painter Of Nuts’ – has even turned his unusual passion into a business, selling privately commissioned peanut statuettes as gifts and wedding cake toppers.
‘I love to eat peanuts,’ said Steve. ‘I eat them daily and they are always around. My grandfather even grew peanuts so it just felt uniquely “me” to use them as a medium.’
On his website, Steve details his unique four-step process, which ensures his artworks last a lifetime.
Firstly, each piece has had the nuts removed from the shell. The shells are then sealed with archival urethane and glued back together.
The product is then constructed, painted for up to 20 hours and coated in clear acrylic when finished. The final product is sealed in a glass dome.
He accepts commissions to make statues of people’s friends, family, ancestors and favorite celebrities etc. – but warns that the ‘exquisitely handmade’ artworks, which require much time and skill, do not come cheap.
Prices can be requested via the email address on his website stevecasino.com.
