Artist adds Darth Vader, Spock to thrift shop paintings

Dreary paintings of landscapes at thrift shops and yard sales may look like junk, but to Canadian artist David Irvine, the paintings just need to be "re-directed."

The artist adds flare by painting pop-culture icons and creatures from his imagination onto the scenes. Because art materials are expensive, Irvine says he's always looked to repurpose canvases and frames.

"One day a few years ago I had a beach scene painting that was salvaged from the curb. For some reason I had a vision of reapers playing with a beach ball...I painted them in and it sold immediately online," Irvine told USA TODAY in an email. "I knew I was on to something."

Irvine sells the paintings for $250- $800, depending on the size and shipping costs. He sells the work on Etsy.com. Some of his work is also on display at The Flying Pony Gallery in Toronto.

Irvine says he never paints over the original painter's signature and tries to adapt the traits of the original painting, according to his website. While he's open to painting iconic figures into the works, he says his real passion is using his own creativity.

Photos: Pop-culture icons added to old paintings

"My favorite character is my own, because it then kicks in another level to make it stand on its own," Irvine says. "That I'm not just a photo copier, I just get more pleasure on a personal level creating something from scratch."

Irvine says while he has become known for his thrift shop paintings, it's just "one chapter" of his work. He also makes ornaments from burnt out light bulbs, salvages wooden furniture and paints other original works.

The common thread is the art of repurposing old and discarded items.

"There is still far too much waste in this modern age with potentially great things ending up in a landfill and that drives me crazy. Even items in a thrift shop are discarded if they don't sell," Irvine says.

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