A Mouse in the House

2009-06-17T15:32:00.001-05:00

This blog has moved please visit A Mouse in the House at:
www.robertabaird.com/blog

Illustration Friday ~ Adapt

2009-05-30T12:54:00.003-05:00

As a result of the current economic forecast and lack of job security caused by an unusual case of narcolepsy, Little Boy Blue has been forced to rethink his job description. His decision to pursue his lifelong dream of performance has resulted in fewer corn raids caused by wandering cows and sheep.

Addendum: Due to overwhelming success with his new band, The Baby Boy Blues and their new single "That Bad Mother Hubbard" the position of Lead Herder is once again available.

One too Many

2009-05-28T10:29:00.002-05:00

How many... is too many?

Illustration Friday ~ Cracked

2009-05-24T01:58:00.004-05:00

Tip toeing quietly

Behind the coffee cup...

Determined not to ever be

Served with bacon .... sunny side up

Illustration Friday ~ Contagious

2009-05-15T11:04:00.008-05:00

Black Water Hattie lived back in the swamps were the strange green reptiles crawl
Snakes hang thick from the Cypress trees like sausage on a smoke house walls
Where the swamp is alive with a thousand eyes and all of them watching you
Stay off the track of Hattie's shack in the back of the Black Bayou...

Way up the road from Hattie's shack lies a sleepy little Okeechobee town

Talk of swamp witch Hattie lock you in when the sun go down
Rumors of what she done, rumors of what she do

Kept folks of the track of Hattie's shack in the back of the Black Bayou

One day brought the rain and the rain stayed on and the swamp water overflowed
'Skeeters and the fever grabbed the town like a fist, Doc Jackson was the first to go
Some say the plague was brought by Hattie. There was talk of a hang'n too...
But the talk got shackled by the howls and the cackles from the bowels of the Black bayou

Early one morn 'tween dark and dawn when shadows filled the sky
There came an unseen caller on a town where hope run dry
In the square there was found a big black round vat full of gurgling brew
Whispering sounds as the folks gathered round "It came from the Black Bayou"

There ain't much pride when you're trapped inside A slowly sink'n ship
Scooped up the liquid deep and green And the whole town took a sip
Fever went away and the very next day the skies again were blue
Let's thank old Hattie for sav'n our town We'll fetch her from the Black Bayou

Party of ten of the town's best men headed for Hattie's Shack

Said swamp witch magic was useful and good

And they're gonna bring Hattie back
Well they never found Hattie and they never found the shack

And they never made the trip back in
Twas a parchment note they found tacked to a stump
Said "Don't come look'n again..... "

Written by Jim Stafford http://www.jimstafford.com/

Dedicated to my dad who used to listen to the coolest music when I was growing up.

This was one of many!

Moleskin Sketch ~ Feeding Frenzy

2009-05-13T14:01:00.003-05:00

A sketch in my moleskin picturing an afternoon feeding frenzy in the Koi pond at the Houston zoo. A little tricky to capture and stay dry.

A Photoshop color study... no water damage this time!

www.robertabaird.com

Motherly Love

2009-05-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Illustration Friday ~ Parade

2009-05-09T01:32:00.002-05:00

Meet Karen Wisselpop...
The fourth child in a family of six siblings. Karen or should I say Indigo Nocturne, as she calls herself these days... was so tired of being called by her sister's names, that when the Franklin High School Band was scheduled to march in the annual Mother's Day Parade, she decided to give her uniform a little personal flair!

When she said "Mom... I want to join a band!" this was clearly not what she had in mind...
Band Director Murphy was not amused!!!

Carlos however was....

Possum Mom

2009-05-06T11:18:00.005-05:00

One pulled from the vault....

Remembering moms of all shapes, sizes, colors, creeds... and species!

Illustration Friday ~ Hierarchy

2009-05-02T02:01:00.005-05:00

The farmer takes wife... The wife takes a child
The child takes a nurse... The nurse takes a cow
The cow takes a dog... The dog takes a cat...
The cat takes a rat... The rat takes the cheese...
The cheese stands alone...

A hierarchy is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.), in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another.
-Wickipedia

Hi Ho the Derry O!

Caldwell Cardinal ~ Needle Felted Sculpture

2009-04-29T11:03:00.005-05:00

Meet Caldwell Cardinal. When he's not crooning some jazz tunes you'll find him sweet talking the ladies. Now don't get your feathers ruffled, he'll be making appearance later today at:
Roberta Baird Studio

Illustration Friday ~ Theater

2009-04-24T15:23:00.005-05:00

So there's no more fuss
And there's no more scenes
And my garden thrives-
You should see my nectarines!
But I'm telling you the same
I tell kings and queens:
Don't ever never ever
Mess around with my greens!
Especially the beans!!! Excerpt from Witch's Lament by Stephen Sondheim
These are pictures of my set for Into The Woods, complete with 40 foot trees and Spanish moss hanging from the rails. Rapunzel's tower is on the left side and rotated to be both a tree and a tower! Wickedly fun to design and build!

Click HERE to watch Bernadette Peters singing "the Witch's Lament" in Into the woods

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-21T15:29:00.006-05:00

Started on April 22 1970, by Senator Gaylord Nelson as a grass roots demonstration to bring attention to environmental issues, Earth Day has grown into a world wide phenomenon. The first Earth Day demonstration was celebrated by 20 million people.
What are you doing to celebrate...

We transplanted the herbs from pots to a permanent garden outside my studio. It's nice to get the old fingernails dirty!

Garden Fairies

2009-04-21T14:52:00.003-05:00

And as the seasons come and go, here's something you might like to know.
There are fairies everywhere: under bushes, in the air,
playing games just like you play, singing through their busy day.
So listen, touch, and look around - in the air and on the ground.
And if you watch all nature's things, you might just see a fairy's wing.
~Author Unknown

Illustration Friday ~ Impossibility

2009-04-17T18:41:00.002-05:00

If the shoe fits ...wear it!

Sir Sharpington Chops

2009-04-16T12:45:00.006-05:00

Never smile at a crocodile
No, you can't get friendly with a crocodile
Don't be taken in by his welcome grin
He's imagining how well you'd fit within his skin

But he looks so friendly...
Meet Sir Sharpington Chops, my new felted art sculpture. He'll be added today over in my Etsy store:
Roberta Baird Studio

Stay turned there's a very red bird in the felting pile!

Roberta Baird Studio

Name that Snake

2009-04-16T01:54:00.005-05:00

We found this little snake living in between the bricks of our neighbor's house. It's about 18 inches long and I think it's quite young.

What kind of snake is he?
I mean besides cute! :)

Art by Committee ~ Tookah

2009-04-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

My entry for the monthly

Art by Committee Art Prompt over at the Gurney Journey blog.

....Not your ordinary art prompt!

Click to view detail

The Breeze Award

2009-04-14T09:00:00.002-05:00

As I was making my daily visits to some of my favorite bloggers, I saw this award given to Edrian Thomidis. She's a wonderful artist, well deserving of just such a gift.
As I read the post I scanned the list and surprise, I was included!
So thank you Edrian for giving this to me and thank you Peter for making it and passing it around! (Aren't you busy enough right now? lol!) You both make my artistic life a breeze

In his very own words: The coveted Breese Award is given to six inspirational individuals; since most blog awards cater to odd numbers, this particular award was designed for the more even keeled folk. These six should be a collection of bloggers that have helped you, either directly or indirectly, to stay creative.

There are so many to choose from:
This group has really helped me and it continues every day! I look forward to the future of :
The Doodle Diners

Terk Skrdla
David Sones
Candace Trew Camling
Kate Reitz
Linda Silvestri

I know it's an odd number.... but they are some pretty even keeled folks!

Watercolor Wednesday Award

2009-04-13T17:57:00.003-05:00

I was given this award by the lovely ladies over at Watercolor Wednesdays!
A group of talented artists working to polish their skills and make a few friends along the way!

Below is an example of some of my work done for WW!
Check it out!
Watercolor Wednesdays

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T08:00:00.002-05:00

Illustration Friday ~ Fleeting

2009-04-10T15:10:00.005-05:00

Hazel always lived by the adage that "Life is short and time is fleeting." But when she took up motor cross, all of her friends back at Shady Acres Retirement Center thought she was a few pecans short of a fruitcake.... that is until she won first place in the Senior's Division!!

Rub a Dub Dub

2009-04-07T09:55:00.003-05:00

Rub a dub dub three men in a tub
And who do you think they be
The buthcher, the baker, the candlestick maker
And all of them gone to sea

The Doodle Diner

Cinder The Running Dog

2009-04-06T09:33:00.006-05:00

Cinder was a running dog. She ran through the school and the janitor chased her. Soon after, the principal took up the chase.
Some of the teachers even chased her... and at recess, she played with the children and they chased her. Cinder just wanted to run!

Later that night Cinder ran though the playground greeting all the neighbors! "Who's dog is this?" they asked. Nobody knew and for weeks nobody claimed her.

True story! That's how Cinder came to live at my house. I looked for that dog's owner for a long time but nobody claimed her. Maybe they were tired of chasing this dog who would bolt through any open door!
The kids and I were seen on more than one occasion sprinting through the neighborhood behind Cinder, who of course thought it was all a game. Then one day she just stopped and decided to stay... for thirteen years!

My sweet little dog finally gave in to the disease that took away her ability to run. She passed away on Sunday and though I will miss her terribly...I know she's chasing squirrels in dog heaven.

I celebrate Cinder 1996-2009.

Random Sketches

2009-04-04T11:46:00.004-05:00