53 Comments

I think you should switch view of owl or seascape depending on the season. Owl in winter, flip painting over for summer… or visa versa! Both have a definite charm.

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Love that idea. The stretcher bar is pretty intrusive and hate to restretch it each year…but as you point out, I may have to! Thanks for voting and enjoy your weekend.

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Happy birthday, Bob! I enjoyed the museum book. I also like that cartoon about receiving the email on what they did last week. Oh my.

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Thank you, Christine. I will check if you are a paid subscriber. If not, I’ll upgrade. I want those who engage with me and support me financially, and emotionally with encouragement, to be thanked. Big favor to ask, if you get a chance, please leave a review for the book. Ridiculously, that sort of thing is actually important to a book’s success.

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Pardon me, but as curator of the Rob collection (and at the risk of appearing an officious sesquipedalian), I believe my opinion should carry a weighted measure in polling on his painting corpus. Winterscape With Owl was indeed a spectacular find and should be displayed as is - with canvas frame exposed. If Rob were still with us, I'm certain he would concur.

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Please pass this message over to Rob, who I believe IS still with us (isn’t there a part of Rob in all of us?);

The amount of people who love the painting is overwhelming. When do you think you can produce more?

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Bob! It's so hard to decide, but I'm an obsessive owl collector (arts and crafts type, not real birds), so I had to go with the owl. Any chance of a creative framing that would somehow allow you to easily flip depending on mood or season? Probably would cost the earth. Just "normal" framing is so expensive these days if it's a custom job of any kind. I guess I must appreciate the artistry that goes into that, and pay the price, since I can't do it myself.

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Dear Elena, thanks for sharing. Yes, flipping the picture on a regimented schedule seems to be the most popular choice of action.

Let’s talk owls. Love your choice of obsession. Actually I have a plastic owl now on the roof of my house to scare away the yellow-bellied snapsucker woodpeckers they were damaging the sliding in my house. Along with dangling CDs of old software, this has worked (the reflections from the CDs are a deterrent.). No taxidermied owls?

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No taxidermied owls - yet. Not on my wish list. I have had the joy of having one (a Pygmy owl) perched on my leather-clad wrist when I won an auction item at my local wildlife rehab center to be a helper for a day. Much prefer live owls to stuffed ones. Lucky enough to live among trees where owls visit from time to time. We have had pileated woodpeckers use our house to make noise to attract mates. Very annoying! I fear the bird population may be decreasing here (Pacific Northwest, on the Olympic Peninsula) since we haven’t experienced that level of noise lately. Glad you found a benign way to protect your house. Much nicer than my husband who would shoot phi’s air rifle into the air - not at the bird - to scare him off. Worked for about 15 minutes.

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And Happy Birthday, Bob!

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Happy Birthday, Bob.

Not the owl, okay? I wouldn't like it looking at me.

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Duly noted, Robin. Thank you for the birthday wish and for voting—have a good weekend.

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Happy Birthday!

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Thank you, Randall!

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Happy birthday, Bob! I have The Ultimate Cartoon Book and Footnotes from the Most Fascinating Museums right next to me on the kitchen table. Maybe your next book can be Operations to Avoid or How to Help a Loved One Who's Had A Craniotomy.

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Thank you, Ann. Would you like a visit one day and we can discuss this next unorthodox book project? I wrote Michael just now. I just got back to NYC.

Hope you feel better, Love, Bob.

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I'd love a visit! Maybe you'd like to come out here with Michael.

xx Ann

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Happy day to you ! Why not switch sides of the painting on your birthday each year ?

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Dear Sophie, thanks for the well wishes, and yes, we are now all over this idea that so many are suggesting. More soon with an update and promise me you will try to keep your sanity with all the news.

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Happy Birthday! All the best, John.

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Thank you, John. Try to have a good weekend.

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Happy Birthday! 🎂

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Thanks, Tom! Hang in there and try to enjoy the weekend despite everything going on.

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You are aware that the “link” to the Fountain bookshop takes one to a bookstore of the same name in Virginia?

I miss the UWS.

Enjoy your birthday! 🎂

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No! I knew it was defaulting to that so I fixed it. Somehow it went back. Thanks for pointing that out and I will fix that. And thanks for the birthday wish, Jane. Enjoy your weekend.

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Happiest of birthdays!

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Dear Irene, thanks! Have a good weekend —Bob

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Happy birthday, Bob! Love the cartoon. Also love the two-sided painting. I chose the one with the owl and barn because I'm a fan of old barns, having grown up in one. Seriously.

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Always love hearing from you Marylou. Hang in there, I know like me your stomach must be in knots. — Bob

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Happy Bobday, Bob! 🎂

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Thank you, Sunday! Have a great Saturday. — Bob

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Happy Birthday! I voted for the snow scene, but like the idea of framing it so you can flip it periodically.

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Hi Michael, thanks for the birthday wish. We miss you guys. More on the painting soon.

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Happy birthday, Bob!

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Thanks! Have a good weekend.

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