Canadian Artist Adds Pop to Thrift Store Paintings, Ups Value

David Irvine/The Gnarled Branch(TORONTO) — An artist outside Toronto, Canada, is adding popular characters and touches to thrift store finds and turning a tidy profit.

David Irvine, of Brampton, calls the work “Re-directed Art,” which includes the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in a classic scene or Star Wars characters in a serene landscape painting.

Irvine, 46, said they can sell for $300 to $800. Some of his work is on exhibit at The Flying Pony Gallery in Toronto, and he also sells work via Etsy.

Of his re-directed art, he told ABC News that over 90 percent are prints on board and the rest are originals.

“They are usually old and in bad shape so I touch up marks and scratches, etc., to bring it back to its original form, then I add in my own elements. My only rule is that I never paint over the original signature,” Irvine said. “Generally most are bought at thrift shops, yard sales and even salvaged from the curb. I hate seeing waste and when I see a painting collecting dust on a shelf, I see potential, not garbage.”

Irvine has been creating and selling art for over 25 years. His website is called GnarledBranch.com, the idea of which came in 2004 when he noticed a wooden table that was discarded in the trash.

For locals in the Toronto area, he also accepts commissions if you have an idea of something you want to add to a thrift store painting.

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