Kane Minogue, owner of scrap metal art business Studio 303, lives and works off-grid, using just a grinder, welder generator and a few hand tools to craft his pieces in his workshop.

He started out welding steel animals for private clients, and as word of his art spread, he began building a variety of pieces and has been commissioned for public works, including the peanut.

"The peanut committee contacted Andrew Whitehead, who's probably Australia's most well-known [scrap metal] artist [and] he sent them my way because I was a lot closer and he knew I'd do it justice," Minogue said.

"They're so passionate. They're the ones that made it happen and I'm stoked to be chosen to do it for them and hopefully it's well-received."

The peanut, which weighs 450kg and sits 3.4m tall and 1.2m wide, took him three months of full time work to complete.

"The peanut committee organised for old machinery parts from the South Burnett to be sent to me and I used new 2.5mm mild steel pipe for the framework for structural integrity," he said.

"I had to clean all the impurities out of the parts so I could weld them, so there's a lot of mucking around getting rid of oil and grease."

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Minogue said he wasn't able to travel to Kingaroy for the unofficial unveiling on November 4, but he was able to tune into the livestream.

"I know the passion that these people have, so it was pretty surreal. It was really good. I really loved it.

"Working for rural customers in rural towns it's a little bit more special for me, but also the pressure's on to do a good job, because if they don't connect with the art, they'd rather their money go somewhere else.

"That's why you need to bring me down the pieces from the cockies and the locals so that we can connect them with it.

"You've got to connect to the people. It's got to tell a story and they've got to identify with the story, otherwise it's just another piece of art that people don't like."

Minogue, who previously worked in fabrication and on hot rods, said his foray into steel sculpting was not planned.

"It all came around by accident. I was working for a fella in town and I went through the scrap bin and made this very average thing because I'd never made one before, and my dad said, 'You'll never sell that, you're wasting your bloody time'," Kane laughed.

"So I put it on buy, swap and sell and sold it for $450.

"I quit my job and lived off sangas and two-minute noodles for four-and-half-years and here I am now doing it on a big scale all around the country.

"I've had two billionaire customers so far, but I charge what I'm worth. I don't rip anyone off. I'm a blue collar bloke.

"It's become a little bit trendy too which is great because creativity really takes your mind to another place. You leave your daily stresses behind."

Minogue went on to sculpt a commission piece for Shellharbour City Council, which was installed at Reddall Reserve, south of Wollongong, in December 2020.

The artwork is a four-metre high sculpture piece that depicts a variety of local marine life swimming up and around a ring of seaweed.

Minogue is hoping his next big job is for a large property group which is developing a new housing estate in Wollongong.