David Irvine, aka the Gnarled Branch, paints familiar characters on top of thrift store paintings.
From giant rubber ducks lost at sea to Dumbo eyeing some beer, his work gives these old forgotten paintings a new lease for life. The paintings themselves are often drab but competent landscapes; seemingly from another era, he jazzes them up with a lick of paint and a sense of fun.
This ongoing series features familiar folks as well as new creations on top of bland, forgotten paintings . Upcycling is a difficult business, as you rely on the work of others to create your own, but both his choice of painting and his own style mark his pieces out as unique. With a sense of humour and an appetite for culture, these paintings are pretty f-ing awesome, whether they feature The Marshmallow Man or Bambi. You can even buy your own awesome Irvine ‘do over’ on Etsy and Society 6.
The best thing about his illustrations is that he takes something mediocre, something forgotten, and makes it epic and memorable, oft with a gulp of irony and a chase of humour. With a talent for sculpture and furniture too, this artist has the whole creative thing in the bag.
You can see more work by David on his website: www.gnarledbranch.com.