To hear Chris Woods tell it, he simply photographs and then paints pictures of his friends in strip malls and fast-food restaurants. But that barely hints at the magical quality of his art in which ubiquitous pop-culture icons, such as McDonald's, are handled realistically -- but with an edge.

Born in Newcastle, N.B., Woods, 29, was raised and still lives in Chilliwack, B.C., where he works full time on paintings that explore society's worship of consumerism. In 1995, he painted contemporary renderings of the story of Christ's crucifixion for St. David's Anglican Church in Vancouver, using local settings such as Stanley Park.

Last year, in an acclaimed solo exhibit called McTopia, Woods portrayed ordinary fast-food workers as spiritually enhanced: one is an angel bending over a fellow McWorker who has been hit by a minivan in the drive-through. Now he's at work on a new collection based on the world of advertising called Dreamland.

Although his paintings sell for $8,000 to $14,000, the artist says he's not getting rich. "Each piece takes about six weeks," says Woods. "That means I'm still in the minimum-wage category." At least it's enough for a burger and fries.

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