Quote:What if Edward Gorey drew Lovecraft's unspeakable horrors?



Edward Gorey was the master of understated terrors, and if he'd ever illustrated the madness-inducing monsters of HP Lovecraft, they might look like John Kenn Mortensen's Post-It Monstres, in which horrific beasts loom over remarkably unperturbed kiddies.

What's especially lovely about Mortensen's monster doodles is that, while Gorey is clearly an influence, it doesn't appear that he's fully aping Gorey's character design. And his empty-eyed monsters, occasionally tentacled and occasionally all teeth and hair, lend the scenes a sense of unavoidable doom. I wonder if the children will be the victims or instigators of that doom. Perhaps they will be both.

You can see more of Mortensen's illustrations on his blog or in his Post-It Monstre art book.

Quote: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

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Thyrza Segal

Greg Wrote:My Lovecraft is full of eels.