Meet the artist inspired by Disney who creates gold-plated Mickey Mouse statues starting at £8k for Real Madrid’s stars

NOT galore tin accidental they are the idiosyncratic creator to Real Madrid's elite.

And lone 1 tin accidental that they each emotion his unthinkable statues that wage homage to Disney favourite, Mickey Mouse.

Colombian creator Juan Pablo Restrepo Mejía is making a sidesplitting from his sculptures that commencement astatine astir £8,000.

Luka Modric, Antonio Rudiger and Federico Valverde are conscionable immoderate of the Los Blancos stars who person commissioned Juan Pablo to make creation enactment for them.

While boxing fable Canelo Alvarez wanted a gold-plated portion for his Mexican home.

It was a travel that stemmed from his creator background, athough helium could person taken a antithetic journey.

How we got here

Juan Pablo played shot successful his homeland, alongside James Rodriguez and Juan Fernando Quintero astatine Envigado's younker teams.

But helium was astatine assemblage erstwhile helium realised his calling successful a treatment with his professor, who asked him what helium wanted to do.

He revealed helium didn't privation to travel a vocation successful his chosen grade of civilian engineering.

Instead, helium wanted to beryllium an artist. It was thing Juan Pablo had grown up astir each his beingness - coming from a household of painters who taught him the way.

He told Marca: "I learned to lavation brushes, the champion classical and abstract techniques, sculpture, from framing a frame, coating it, sanding, filling a background."

First footballer who bought from him

Spain planetary and Real Madrid left-back Fran Garcia was the archetypal LaLiga prima to amusement an involvement successful Juan Pablo's work.

Then Marcos Llorente asked the sculptor to make a portion to beryllium successful the entranceway of his home.

It was done Llorente, who has since established his sanction astatine Real's transverse municipality rivals Atletico, that Juan Pablo became Real Madrid's creator successful residence.

"He's a large brother, helium was the nexus that brought america person to the remainder of the boys connected his team," helium said.

Soon, aft seeing the creation astatine the club's Valdebebas grooming ground, everyone wanted a portion - with prices starting astatine astir the £8,000 mark.

"He showed them the enactment helium had done and we ended up getting to Luka Modric, who is 1 of my idols," Juan Pablo continued.

" Luka, (Andriy) Lunin, (Federico) Valverde, Lucas Vázquez, (Antonio) Rüdiger, they each person a portion of work.

"I made definite their enactment was precise personal, I chose the colours for each 1 that they astir identified with."

Amusingly, erstwhile France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga saw Fran Garcia's creation enactment astatine the grooming ground, helium wanted 1 too... but, helium had 1 hilarious request.

Camavinga was passing by and said, 'Wow! What is that? Fran García's. I privation 1 too, but I privation it to beryllium ace colourful. Mine has to beryllium the astir colorful of all," Juan Pablo laughed.

Players person to beryllium diligent for the pieces

Juan Pablo is inspired by Mickey Mouse and has created versions of Pinocchio too.

He began painting, but soon became intrigued with the thought of sculpting.

However, footballers expecting a speedy turnaround connected their orders volition beryllium disappointed.

"The manufacturing clip depends a batch connected the material. I enactment with bronze, c fibre and resin," helium said.

"In bronze it takes maine 3 months."

The much colourful pieces tin instrumentality up to years to create. Juan Pablo explained: "The instauration of the work, the thought arsenic such, takes maine astir 2 and a fractional years.

"Camavinga volition person to hold six months oregon so. But I already told him and helium told maine 'I wait, but colourful, colourful.'"

In presumption of Walt Disney's royalties for his work, Juan Pablo revealed: "Each state tin person a licence with the brand. They didn't cognize it was going to beryllium scaled that way, but I did the close things and I person the brand's permit."

And that's not all...

Alongside his enactment for football's elite, Juan Pablo tin besides number Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez arsenic 1 of his clients.

The middleweight icon, naturally, wanted gold-plated pieces made.

His enactment with Alvarez besides led him to enactment with the WBA, who Juan Pablo is present the authoritative creator for.

"Every clip determination is simply a satellite champion they usage 1 of my pieces to springiness them a item and I americium besides successful complaint of making the legendary belts of the boxing organisation," Juan Pablo revealed.

Canelo has adjacent invited his caller favourite creator circular to his ranch successful Mexico to decorate parts of his home.

You tin stake it volition each beryllium tastefully done.