Undead Shark

this is the 6th zombie request though it's a bit different this time. i'm imagining an underwater thriller video.

Final Fairy

the last fairy of the three. below is what they look like hung all together.

Middle Fairy

here's the second fairy. it's actually supposed to be the little girl for whom it was commissioned. i didn't use a photo or anything but her mom told me she has blonde wavy hair and likes pink and blue. i made her the center painting with the other two fairies facing towards her so she's the focus of the series.

I've Been Busy, but Not Too Busy for Art

i've been quite busy at work lately. (work meaning my career) and it's meant a lot of late evenings at work. my company just went into open beta for our 3-D engine. check out our new site with my spiffy new web design.



i've still managed to keep up with my paintings though. we were given monday off because we worked so hard up until the release. so my interrupted schedule is my excuse for forgetting to post yesterday. and two posts today is my apology.



this is fairy 1 of 3 that i was commissioned to do as a gift for a little girl. 2-3 coming soon!



an exaggerated little caricature of a dog based on this photo

Hogs Hogging

the requester asked for this because he needed a cover for and album he's recording where he does "an extensive list of cover versions of songs I like played on a one-stringed bass made out of a canoe paddle, and a high-hat cymbal." and he's calling it "hogging the covers". quite punny. and i can't imagine what it sounds like but it seems fabulous.

Just Some Lilly

the first one was a stargazer lilly. this one's more generic.

Lighthouse

i feel like lighthouses are common art subjects. i hope mine stands out from the rest because he's bendy.

Here We Go

this request was from a guy who didn't say what he wanted me to paint in his inital email. when i got to him on the list, i emailed to ask what i should paint. it just so happened to be right after the superbowl.

Amazon Widget

check out this cool thing amazon let me make

Stingray

the ocean makes some crazy creatures.

Pitcher Plant

this is a nepenthes painted for a carnivorous plant enthusiast. plant has trap. bug goes in trap. plant eats bug. ali is weirded out.

reasons why ali is weirded out:
1. that something could like protein that much
2. that the aforementioned "something" is a PLANT
3. that i actually used the term "carnivorous plant enthusiast"
3. that a close up of this thing looks like another thing

Cat Playing the Clarinet

the requester wanted him jazzy looking so i avoided giving him kenny g hair.

Giraffe with a Four Leaf Clover

this is how giraffes sit when they're excited.

Bourbon Street Sign

the request was for something with a new orleans theme. are there bourbon streets in other cities? google maps says yes.

Bourbon St, Camden, NC 27921
Bourbon St, Jackson, East Feliciana, LA 70748
Bourbon St, Pahrump, Nye, NV 89048
Bourbon St, Menard, Kimble, TX 76859
Bourbon St, Englewood, Charlotte, FL 34224
Bourbon St, Havre de Grace, Harford, MD 21078
Bourbon St, Georgetown, Scott, KY 40324
Bourbon St, Blanchester, Clinton, OH 45107
Bourbon St, Wayne, Passaic, NJ 07470

and here are the many rue bourbons:

Rue Bourbon, San Antonio, Bexar, TX 78240
Rue Bourbon, Metairie, Jefferson, LA 70005
Rue Bourbon, Missouri City, Fort Bend, TX 77459
Rue Bourbon, Repentigny, L'Assomption, QC, Canada
Rue Bourbon, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality, QC, Canada

I Love You Snacks

happy valentine's day. and today's request just happens to have an "i love you" message on it. really. i made no adjustments to the wait list. this one was just up next and the requester wanted that message. uncanny.

All French People Are The Same

i was asked to paint a french frog. i just now found out i've painted a stereotype. i mean it's already pretty bad that i gave him a beret to make him french. all french people wear berets, right?

Awesomeness Experienced

yep the ride was awesome. and i was a part of making something that awesome. awesome.


you are the size of a toy while waiting in line.


i totally know the guy that did the animations for anamatronic mr. potato head.



yeah! there's my screen! it's the one in the cart right between the guns.



my screen working hard to tell you how to play the game



my screen working hard to tell you your score. sorry it's blurry. the ride was moving! i was quite excited about the center medallion flip animation but i'm pretty sure i'm the only rider that ever paid attention.

notice i'm clearly kicking my opponent's butt. ok it was my aunt so maybe not the best competition but i figured i'd definitely be the top scorer in my party. turns out my brother's girlfriend is unstoppable! she totally acted all meek like "oh what's this gun thingy? tee hee" and then smoked everything in her path.



my screen not working! yep that's right. the second time i rode (of course i had to go more than once) the ride broke WHILE I WAS ON IT! i'm a little mad i didn't get to see the screen that says "We're Sorry. This shooter is not working at the moment".



though, i'm not mad that i got to walk through the ride outside of the cart and take some really cool pictures. what are the odds?!



thanks to this "cast member" for releasing the safety bar that kept me stuck in my seat.



i'm so glad i got to go. it was really fun and i genuinely enjoyed the ride not just because i had something to do with it's creation :) i didn't really think about it until i saw it but my designs are in front of thousands of people all day every day. it was pretty darn cool.




side note: Disney thinks these Kanye glasses have 100% UV protection.

Toy Story Midway Mania Ride!!

a few months ago i was working part time at my current company and part time at a related game studio in pittsburgh. the other studio was working on an interactive theme park ride for Disney's California adventure and Disney's Hollywood Studios. so i got to work on the Toy Story Mania ride that recently opened! i designed the scores and directions that are displayed on an LCD screen next to the riders. you can see some of them below and the rest are on my design portfolio site. the character medalions in the center flip over with each level and i also did the animations for that.

because i was only part time for that company, i didn't get to go with them to see the ride when it opened :( all my coworkers saw it but me. lame. but i can't complain because i'm just psyched to be able to say i worked on a Disney ride.

so anyways, i've finally planned my own trip to florida! i'm going this weekend to see my score screens in action (medallion flip and all). yay! which means i won't be painting until i get back. i'll post again once i've experienced the awesomness that is Toy Story Mania.

Former Caterpillar

flutterby is so much prettier sounding.

I'm Rich

during my run today around mile six i found this on the street. woo! as you can see i'm proudly displaying it on my corkboard at work. i hope no one tries to steal it. and don't tell the police i didn't turn it in.

by the way, i'm training for the pittsburgh marathon coming up. hence the running. maybe the $100,000 is a sign to keep it up.

my goodness... i run, i found a thing, i have a job, said job involves a desk with a cork board. the internet is learning so much about me today!

Wingless Flying Monkeys

this isn't a sign for the wicked witch of the west because her flying monkeys had wings. the requester specifically said no wings. the alert should be more like "warning, floating monkeys".

Scooter 2er

this is for someone who liked my first scooter painting (below). i didn't want to do another one exactly the same so i changed the view and updated the model.

Mother Earth

this is my versions of Gaia, the Greek goddess that personifies earth. according to wikipedia she has around 50 children with at least 10 known fathers and some unknown. seems like these stories were the original soap operas.

Doozer

the guy that requested this owns a muppet fan site and asked for a muppet painting. he didn't care which character so i went with a Doozer from Fraggle Rock because i always liked them.

Humanoid Dessert

this kid is going on the wall at a boutique bakery in Los Angeles. he kind of looks like he'd fit in with the "Let's All Go to the Lobby" animation.