Adding Monsters to Thrift Store Paintings

Have you ever been to a thrift store (think Goodwill or Salvation Army) and noticed that they usually carry a small selection of landscape paintings? Artists Chris McMahon and Thryza Segal decided to inject a little fun into these discarded works and give them a second life by adding monsters to the scenic landscapes. The trick is to match the paint originally used (e.g., acrylic or oil) and try to blend the monsters into the original scene as if they were always there. It can be a challenge if the original is too textured or old but the results (below) speak for themselves. It’s a fun exploration and one the Sifter enjoyed. Hope you do as well! Chris McMahon Thyrza Segal If you enjoyed this post, the Sifter highly recommends:

This is What Happens When You Photoshop Celebrities Into Your Holiday Party [35 pics] Mar 1, 2012 Graphic designer Everett Hiller and his wife host an annual Holiday party for their friends. Afterwards, Hiller sends out a photo album with famous celebrities photoshopped in for fun. While some may look a little fishy, others are near-flawless, as Hiller’s skills with lighting, white balance adjustment, and color really shine. Equally important is finding the right source photo of the celebrity. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. If you enjoyed this post, the Sifter highly recommends:

Carved Book Landscapes by Guy Laramee (click images for detail) For the better part of three decades multidisciplinary artist Guy Laramee has worked as a stage writer, director, composer, a fabricator of musical instruments, a singer, sculptor, painter and writer. Among his sculptural works are two incredible series of carved book landscapes and structures entitled Biblios and The Great Wall, where the dense pages of old books are excavated to reveal serene mountains, plateaus, and ancient structures. Of these works he says: So I carve landscapes out of books and I paint Romantic landscapes. Laramee’s next show will be in April of 2012 at the Galerie d’Art d’Outremont in Montreal.

Brooding Cityscapes Painted with Oils by Jeremy Mann San Francisco-based artist Jeremy Mann executes these sublime, moody cityscapes using oil paints. To create each work he relies on a wide range of techniques including surface staining, the use of solvents to wipe away paint, and the application of broad, gritty marks with an ink brayer. The resulting paintings are dark and atmospheric, urban streets seemingly drenched in rain and mystery. Mann’s work is in no way limited to cityscapes, he also paints the human figure, still lifes, and landscapes. He currently has work at John Pence Gallery and you can see many more of his cityscapes here.

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