Monsters under the bed are a common occurrence in many households.

It’s a familiar phenomenon that Donny Foley and Mark Damrel showcase in “What’s Under the Bed,” their new show at the KALEID Gallery.

In the dual show, Foley’s cartoon-like paintings of monsters are side-by-side with Damrel’s darker versions of what he thinks is under the bed.

Foley, who works at Kaleid, says he met Damrel for the first time at a show last year. They hit it off and came up with an idea to do a joint show with a monster theme.

“We were throwing around themes, and we decided it’s got to be monsters because there’s just so much you can do,” says Foley. “It’s literally endless. You can pull whatever you want out of your imagination.”

Foley uses acrylic paints to create colorful versions of what would normally be a frightening subject for people.

“I like my characters to be a little short and fat,” Foley says.

Damrel’s paintings, however, are the darker version of what someone could see when running through a nightmare.

“I like the contrast between the two,” Damrel says, who works as an architect full-time. “Mine tend to be darker for some reason. I thought it would be a good counterpoint against each other.”

Damrel has been showing art since 2007, and he says this event has the most pieces he’s exhibited in a while.

“I was trying to think of ideas that weren’t just monsters but could be a scary situation. It was really fun, but it was difficult,” he says. “It’s a fun and humorous look at the darker side of life.”

“What’s Under the Bed”
KALEID Gallery
Thru Sep 27
Tue-Sat, noon to 7pm
kaleidgallery.com