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PRESS RELEASE

San Francisco Artist Uses
Toothpicks to Create Abstract Art

March 30, 2007 10:00 a.m.

Steven J. Backman's Wooden Replicas of Landmarks,
Celebrities and More Have Been Displayed in Galleries Coast to Coast

MUNCIE, Ind., March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- For most of us,
seeing a toothpick conjures up thoughts of dental hygiene or hors
d'oeuvres. Artist Steven J. Backman of San Francisco sees everything from
the Golden Gate Bridge to the Empire State Building to Tiger Woods. In
fact, he has created dozens of structures using only wooden toothpicks and
glue, many of which have been exhibited in art galleries and landmarks in
California and New York.

One of Backman's most famous creations is a replica of the
Golden Gate Bridge that is 13 feet long and consists of 30,000 toothpicks.
This structure took two years to complete and is currently on display at
the "Ripley's Believe it or Not" museum in Hollywood, California. He has
created replicas of landmarks, people and even other famous works of art,
such as "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh and the Mona Lisa by Leonardo
Da Vinci. Backman also creates abstract pieces from his imagination.

"I find toothpicks and glue to be the most challenging
mediums to work with," explained Backman. "Individual toothpicks possess
their own unique characteristics and stand out on their own. My challenge
is to use all of these individual pieces to produce a single object that
looks like it was created from a solid piece of wood. Although it would be
much easier to carve intricate details into solid wood, individually
gluing toothpicks together lends a unique look and wow factor when people
see the finished structures up close."

Backman began using toothpicks to create art while
attending San Francisco State University in the fall of 1984. His first
structure was a San Francisco cable car built for an art course. He later
created many more cable cars and other San Francisco landmarks and
eventually established a business, "Landmarks of San Francisco," to sell
his structures. He continues to operate that business today.

Throughout his career, Backman has used only Diamond(R)
brand wooden toothpicks to create all of his structures.

For more information and photos, please visit http://www.toothpickart.com.

Diamond(R) is a registered trademark of Jarden Corporation.
A Subsidary of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH). Contact us at
http://www.diamondbrands.com.

SOURCE Diamond

/CONTACT: Steven J. Backman of Landmarks of San Francisco,
+1-415-225-1156, [email-masked]; or Charlene Samples of Jarden Home
Brands, +1-765-281-5050, [email-masked], both for Diamond

/Web site: http://www.diamondbrands.com
/Web site: http://www.toothpickart.com

Sponsored by

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