The Ego Is Here and Downloadable

The Ego has officially been released. the CD release concert was quite a splendid party. i'll post pictures of the chaos once people send them or tag me on facebook.

the album is also now available on iTunes. get the whole EP for $6.93

He's So Strong and So Mad That He Has No Neck

the best part about this guy is that most of his words are incoherent.

He's Sick of Hearing That

no, this is not a pokemon.

The Best Character That Isn't My Favorite Character

the coolest character that i don't feel like i should like. but i can't help it. it's somewhat hard to explain but i feel as though i like other characters from homestar runner more but strong bad absolutely makes the whole show. it would be nothing without him.

Everybody! Everybody!

this is the first painting in a series of all the principle characters from homestar runner.

Seems Much Worse Than Coal

this is quite out of season but krampus is a mythical creature that accompanies st. nicholas during christmas and punishes the bad children. the myth is prevalent in austria and hungary. i guess they are more comfortable with negative reinforcement there.

How You Thrill Me

honey honey!

Review by City Paper

City Paper wrote about my new CD and upcoming concert!

Someone Hates My Art

the requester of this one told me she's actually giving it to someone who hates tomatoes. i find that quite odd. especially because this was a paid commission so it's not even like she just requested it carelessly. she paid real money to purchase an immortalization of an object to which her friend has a strong aversion.

I Cut Off My Ear to Really Get Into the Mindset

i borrowed some of van gogh's swirls for this one. i mostly seem to change up the style when i'm doing landscapes or architecture. things that require being set in a place other than on one bright colored background surrounded by a white glow.

Puns Are Great

all corgis make me think of this amazing picture.

The Former Ali and the Present Ali Have the Same Sense of Humor

my first inclination was to write "a cup of the cake variety" for this caption. then i looked back at the first cupcake i painted and that's what i had written. it seems as though i'm going to run out of things to say before i run out of art.

Art for an Artist

my artist friend, will schlough, requested, "a bonsai tree with a little something extra, but the problem is i don't know what
that something extra is. since you're an artist, you must be creative. could you think of something else to incorporate? that would be sweet." he's been doing a lot of sculptures lately using cement and cement blocks so i painted his bonsai tree growing on one. will's the type of guy that will see this and then try to make it actually happen in real life.

The Band Logo Is Blowing My Mind

is it two C's and a plus sign or is it an infinity sign? or is it an eight???

Helpful Spies

it's observing you. or communicating to you.

No, They're Not Defined as "Ones Who Steal"

the final installment of the pittsburgh sports series. sorry pittsburgh passion.

These Are Not Listed in Order of Importance

number 2 in the pittsburgh sports series. all of which do not fly.

At Least The Pirates Are Better Than the Pittsburgh Pandas (Which Is What I Would Name the Team)

this is painting 1 of 3 in a pittsburgh sports series. painting 0 of 3 was our basketball team.

Post Paddy's Party Post

too many car bombs. i forgot to post.



he's kind of like one of the creatures from my character design portfolio but in color. and popified.




if i learned anything from ms. pacman it's that adding a bow to anything will make it a girl. even if said thing has the word "man" in it.

Happy St. Patrick's Day (Weekend)

i should have made the background green. then it could have been titled "kiss me i'm irish."

I Bet You Can See the Higher Quality in My Artwork Because I Have a Complicated Process

i painted the prize inside first and and then painted the box around it.

It's Not Unconditional Love. They're Just Morons

this dog is great. black and white with a touch of pink. and she looks so friendly. like she'd just love you. but not stupidly love you cause she doesn't know any better. the way most dogs will adore a serial killer and their owner the same because they're morons. this dog would recognize you are a valuable human being and then love you for being great because you deserve it.

A Paint Representation of a Typographic Representation of an Organ

last time i did an internet heart it was a sans-serif font. this time i went with times new roman.

Famous Artist Guest Appearance at Your Picnic

this is the second iceburgh painting i've done. a while after i painted the first one i got an email with the subject "Iceburgh". It went like this:

Good morning Ali;

My name is [Silly, Silly Man] and I'm the Area Coordinator for [Silly Place That Employs Silly Man]. I have been active with [Place] now for 10 years. We have decided this year to have our 1st Annual Community Picnic. Our goal is not only to bring the community together but, to also have some good fun with the neighborhood kids. There will be hamburgers/hot dogs, haluski, drinks, a DJ and a lot of fun games and prizes for the kids. So, I am now officially inviting you to come to our picnic to bring joy to the children's faces. We are only asking for about an hour of your time. We will give you a complimentary lunch. If you already have a prior commitment, I totally understand. If not, don't be shy. We would loooove to see you!! Take care and I hope to hear from you soon!! You can reach me at my home # (XXX) XXX-XXX Hope you are having a good day! By reading your web page, sounds like you are a big kid with a good heart!! :)

-[Silly Man]

------------------------------------------------------------------

i responded with this:

Hi [Silly],
Your email is kind of confusing to me. Why was the subject Iceburgh? Do you think i'm the mascot for the Penguins? Of which web page do you speak?

Thanks,
Ali

------------------------------------------------------------------

his reply was:

Oh, do you only do artwork? I typed up Pgh Penguins Mascott Iceburgh and your web site came up. I'm so sorry! I thought you were the mascot. I will keep looking. Thanks anyways!! :)


------------------------------------------------------------------

what?!?! this silly man just sent an email to the owner of the first page that came up in his search without even looking at the website?! though he did say, "By reading your web page," he clearly hadn't! i should have shown up to the event in regular clothes, ate my complimentary lunch and left. i would have brought joy to the childrens' faces.

Sax Tux

the linux penguin isn't just a coding nerd. he's a band nerd too!

I Want More Released Today

the newest single from The Ego is now available for a free download. go claim yours!

This Is What God's Cursor Looks Like

it's weird to see a cursor upside down. i painted it pointing down because the requester sent me a .png of it that way. i guess it can always be hung in any direction though. maybe diagonally up and left? then it will be on a diamond shaped canvas.

Probably Beyond the Bounds of Possibility

i find this scenario difficult to believe.

Is the Dog from Switzerland or Are the Mountains?

is it a dog that likes the swiss mountains or is it a swiss dog that likes any mountain location?

Or Maybe It's Called Sincere Intelligence

the artificial intelligence is fascinated by natural intelligence.

A New Toy Every Day

the toy company said, "i don't know what product to make. here, kid, you figure it out."

I Don't Have to Be Familiar to Turn It into Art

two dr. who paintings? i didn't even know who he was.

Not Just Free Art...Free Music!

"I Want More", the first single from my new album, The Ego, will be released on March 8th with a free download. don't worry, i'll remind you again once it's available.

Perhaps Another Owen and Mzee

a while ago a girl requested a hippo. once she received her hippo, her boyfriend requested a turtle to lay down next to it. hmmm... sounds familiar.