I love it when Mei Xiang and her southern belle sister Lun Lun get on the phone together!
Summer is coming and the living is easy!
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
It feels like summer in a lot of places in the northern hemisphere, but the actual start of summer is still a couple weeks away! Frank and Mikey have arrived in Alaska, but their trip is not going quite as they imagined! We’ll check back in with them later to see if they have found the rest of the family!
Till then…
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
I thought I would be having a lot more fun by now: Biden in the White House, Covid Relief checks out to the people, majorities in the House and Senate…but no. Fascism still is rearing it’s ugly head and making me tired. And as we all know, it’s all about me!
This week we’ll have a report from Frank and Mikey as they travel to Alaska to spend some time with their family, and Mei Xiang checks in with her sister! I bet you know what (or who!) is coming next!
But now, let’s dive into the archives for a little of that debonair French panda cubby!
Did I hear the Bebe Maurice was going to be making a visit to the Panda House in DC? perhaps he will paint a family portrait!
Be the bear!
Bob T Panda
Try to hold off the end of democracy for at least another week!
Sometimes it’s hard to know what’s real.
Meanwhile, back at the real SNZ, Bikkie seems to be taking the throngs of real life visitors in stride, or at least in cubby trot! So just remember, when real life gets too surreal, there is always the panda cam!
Be the Bear
Bob T Panda
Yet again, Mei Xiang has given the world a little miracle! Xiao Qi Ji (which means little miracle) was born last August, completing Mei Xiang’s August trifecta. (I believe Tai Shan, her first was born in July)
Of course, Xiao Qi Ji (aka Bikkie in the Panda Chronicles) has been breaking the internet, not to mention the Cute-O-Meter, since his birth last August. Normally, the cubs have made their public debut in the late winter, but due to the pandemic closing, Bikkie did not make his public debut until mid-May of 2021. He was apparently unfazed by seeing his fans in person.
I hope everyone had an inspiring weekend!
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
Who would have guessed my creative journey would have taken me into the realm of needle felted pandas, or even Panda Satire? Certainly not me! When I was in art school, back in the days when you could get a college education for less than the price of a house, if you were a painting student, you PAINTED! Nothing else was acceptable! You did not “waste” your talents on such frivolous pursuits as Panda Satire, for crying out loud!
For some number of years, I held to those principles. Eventually the realities of a more regular cash flow lead me down the path of printmaking (etching to start). Eventually I embraced other forms of printmaking, such as lithography, monoprint, and monotype. One of the universal truths I discovered was that all forms of making art have something to offer, and each technique you add to your tool box, circles back around and makes the other forms you practice stronger.
Working on black and white etchings made my paintings much stronger, with greater attention to composition and light an dark values.
The recession of 2008 hit me hard, and I needed something to cheer me up. Pandas were the answer. I don’t know what the question is. What I do know, is that one thing leads to another: panda satire lead to starting to write children’s book (another pursuit which has a long way to reach its conclusion) and it also led to making needle felted pandas.
Some of the stories are mine, but the felty panda troop inspires stories in the people who welcome them into their homes. I am honored to be entrusted with some of these stories, and rather than my usual dive into the archives today, I am going to share some of the photos sent to me by a lover of the felty bears. They have added their own touch to the settings, and as one who has always loved dollhouse miniatures, the exquisite details they have added to the scenes thrill me no end!
Be The Bear
Bob T Panda
Imagine! I could be taking a nap on the couch, and just when I need to wake up, it would come over and nudge me, bringing me a cold drink and a snack! I realize these inventions are created for people with mobility issues, but what a boon for the laziest among us!!! I think I need another nap! Binky! fetch me a soda!
Be the bear!
Bob T Panda
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG!?!?!?!?!?!
It’s getting harder to keep the faith, but keep the faith we must! Meanwhile, I’m sure things are getting sorted out at the Panda House…is PPJ real, or a collective figment of everyone’s imagination, what with Pinky being a teenager still and living at home with her family.
By popular request….
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda