When the Daily News printed a piece last December about a Rayburn Correctional Center inmate who built a replica “Streetcar Named Desire” out of wood using only hand tools, newspapers across the country picked up the story. Everybody, it seemed, was fascinated with Robert Himburg and how he’d re-directed a natural born talent with his hands from the “destruction” of burglary to the creation of detailed works of true art. Some people even put in orders.

“Yes ma’am, there was a tremendous surge of popularity after the story of the Desire street car flooded the media,” said Himburg. “Some people congratulated me. Some inquired about having me build them various types of replicas. And some commissioned me to design, fabricate and build particular models of interest for them.”

Himburg got orders for three streetcars—two St. Charles and one Canal Street, the Desire has been retired. And that’s not all. Since December, he’s built an “oyster lugger” for a friend in Baton Rouge. He’s nearing completion of a shrimp boat. And he’s just finished his first piece of “fantasy art,” a “ghost” pirate ship commissioned by RCC IT Support Supervisor Damon Breland.

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“He’s booked with projects until he releases,” said Breland. “He’s very popular now.”

Himburg said his “days are jam-packed,” and that makes him happy.

The pirate ship has him particularly pleased.

“I’m excited, amazed, proud, gratified and overwhelmed at the outcome of this particular project,” said Himburg.

Breland is excited, too. He took a stab at describing the table-top-sized ship with its huge, gaping, red-eyed skull aft, tattered black sails and skeleton crew.

“It’s absolutely breathtaking,” said Breland. “Seen in the light it looks old, dingy, and worn—almost like something out of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie has come out of the screen! Turn out the lights and it becomes this magnificent ghost ship. The entire ship is coated with a Glo in the Dark paint that gives it an amazing eerie glow. Finally … there are 40 tiny LED lights within both the ship and the base.

“I just cannot believe what he has achieved here. I know what I bought for him to start with were some pine wood blanks, a large block of carving wood and a lot of wood putty. When he started the project I just could not see how his vision on paper was going to come to life out of the wood I had bought. Honestly, it wasn’t until just a couple months ago when it finally was coming together that I knew it was going to turn out awesome. This has exceeded all my expectations.”

Himburg said the pirate ship took him a “very long” nine months to complete.

“First, I had to teach myself to carve in order to turn the entire back of the ship into a skull,” he said. “That was no easy feat…I also took my antiquing and aging skills to a whole new level with this project…”

But the burglar-turned-artist likes challenges, and he appreciates projects that help him pass his time. He’s got about three more years at RCC. But he’s not just sitting around counting the days. Word of his talent has spread, and he’s busy.

Breland is among those watching.

“I cannot wait to see how he takes his skill further with his next projects,” he said.