Let's all join in now for a collective Awww!!

If you’ve played the game (which, if you haven’t, get on that! Go get an Xbox if you don’t have one, because you’ve got some frogtastic revenging to get to!), then you may have already guessed where the little guy above comes from; he is one of the early versions of the Spirit Cheetah. And if you’re wondering why a face this adorable didn’t wind up in the game, well, think of it this way: you’re supposed to want to level up your Spirit Animals… not to be sad when they grow up because they were just so darned cute.  Check out more of the evolution:

A young adult kitty, really growing into his proud kitty face. (Okay, I'm a cat lady. There are worse things to be.)

He starts to look a bit more regal here, though still clearly the grown-up version of a sweet kitty who will protect you in the jungle.

You can see the new direction he starts to move in here... a little fiercer, a little less furry.

Fur is left behind entirely as other materials are explored.

I find the fiery lion to be a handsome beast. I think I’d still be sad that little kitten ever grew up, though. Probably better that they changed direction again…

With the move toward blue, the Spirit Cheetah as you now know him started to emerge.

Now get back to your own Spirit Cheetah! Level him up, watch him roar, and thank him for the gift of Shot Speed that he shares with you as he grows.

PopCap is a wonderland teeming with artists of all stripes. And any artist can tell you that the only way to stay strong is to never stop playing. Writers write, musicians jam, artists sketch. Often you have an assignment, but in between, you can’t just wait for inspiration to hit… so you play little games to jump-start the artistic impulse. One thing we do around here is called the Re-Masterpiece Project.

A 3D Ben Franklin became a perfect little zombie!

Once a year, PopCap employees rescue forgotten art from thrift stores. We each choose a piece at random and take it home, then do what we can to add to it, improve on it (perhaps), put a new spin on it at the very least. Check out some of the amazing results, some of which are by professional artists, some by programmers, testers, support techs… proof we’ve all got a little artist in us.

This kitty has been pumping serious iron. Watch out, Odie, the grudge match is on!

An angelic little girl is now a spacefaring adventurer!

Many PopCap artists are famous for their adorable animals, and they really brought the cute in this exercise:

A handsome rooster strutting through an empty painting is now surrounded by animated admirers!

This little girl won't be crying long with so many furry friends in flight to cheer her up!

This old-timey photo is much improved by kittens! What in life isn't, really?

Another very popular theme in Re-Masterpiecing is the insertion of monsters, friendly or ominous:

Aliens are the best way to liven up a simple landscape, I always say!

You have to love a beasty who keeps nice and clean!

I wouldn't like to run into this guy on a sand dune... though to be fair, he's probably just misunderstood.

Now go play! Write a haiku, practice your clarinet, doodle in the margin of your notebook… and call your mother.

What is it? No one can say for sure. Well, that probably isn’t true but go with me here. Was it left here by aliens? Yes, let’s say that it was. It was left here by aliens with mad LEGO skillz. What does it want? It has a message for us, if only we would take the time to listen. Pay careful attention to this video and see if you can hear what it has to say.

Did you hear it? Is it a message of peace? Is it a cookbook? Does it just want a Pepsi? Help a blogger out.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks old-school video games are awesome. A bunch of PopCap artists do too. In fact, over 20 artists participated in an art exhibit dedicated to the video games of our youth. Enter Retro Game Night!

Organized by PvZ lead artist Rich Werner, Retro Game Night featured over 40 pieces of original artwork paying tribute to the video games we played at arcades, on bulky consoles, and that required several huffs and puffs into the cartridge before finally loading. Below are some of my favorites! Hover over the image to see the game and artist.

Earthworm Jim (by Rich Werner) & Zelda (by Tim Gillette)!

Two awesome interpretations of Mario! “Captain Mario” by Noah Maas & “It’s On Like Donkey Kong” by James Ma.

A tribute to Pac-Man (look closely at the piece to see what he says) and a real-life Q*bert!

Both Sonic & Bowser pieces by Erin Middendorf.

Princess Peach goes bad (by Tim Gillette) & a tribute to Joust (by Derek McCaughan)!

What are some of your favorite old-school video games? Let us know in the comments!

One recent day, after loading up on salad fixings, I was mesmerized by this painting.

The Hunt

I was stunned to learn the painter behind this gem works right here in Creative Lab — my very own group! So I sat down the other day with Lorie Ransom, artist and Web Designer extraordinaire, and we chatted about her work.

Eve: So let’s just start with the basics. What do you do at PopCap?

Lorie: I’m a web designer in Creative Lab. I started as a contractor last September and then became a full-time employee in January. I design pages for game promotions, new downloads, other platforms and interactive type projects.

Sap

What was your inspiration for these paintings?

I’ve always enjoyed pop surrealist art so that’s probably my biggest inspiration. I’ll start with a sketch and I won’t really know what it’s going to turn into. I’ll just start by drawing a single line, then I’ll think about what else is going on in the painting, and I’ll add that, and it just goes from there. I also have lots of sketches in my sketchbook that have never gone anywhere.

The Axe

Is there any aspect of your work at PopCap that informs your art?

Well, I have access to a lot of our game art and seeing the work of the game artists at PopCap is incredibly inspiring. I mean, when you look at the art in our games, and the technique involved in that art, I definitely feel inspired by it.

The Nursery

Do you have any favorite pieces?

Probably my favorites are “Sap” and “The Nursery”. I like Sap because technically I really like the way it shows the wing on the bug, and the drop of blood looks very three dimensional. “The Nursery” I like just because it’s weird. I started out just drawing these heads, and then thinking about what was around them, and then it just happened. It just grew organically.

Godzilla Lose Ice Cream

What do you hope to convey through your art?

I don’t know that I’m trying to convey anything. Mostly I’m trying to capture a moment in time. Like in Godzilla, you see Godzilla, and then the ice cream on the ground, and you just wonder what’s going on, there’s a story there. I guess that’s really it – I’m interested in the story. For example, when I think about a still life it’s not that interesting to me. I like to capture a certain moment within a story.

I can see that. I mean, you can feel it’s a more dynamic, interactive experience as a viewer looking at one of your paintings. You imagine the story behind the painting – what happened before this moment, and what’s going to happen next. It’s very cool.  So do you have any current projects you want to talk about?

No, not really. (Laughter)

Where do you exhibit or sell your work?

Random places…. wherever I happen to make a connection with someone! I know I’ll be showing more of my paintings at Walnut Street Coffee in Edmonds next February.

Thanks Lorie for taking the time to sit down and chat. It was fun!

My pleasure. Thanks!