Bob's ART du Jour

Hi, I'm Bob Eggleton and this is my painting and "life in general blog" but mostly paintings. Usually they're for sale. Anyway, if you like something contact me at zillabob@cox.net and ENJOY!!

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Location: New England, United States

I am a Hugo award-winning fantasy/SF artist who works on both publishing projects and film concept work(such as Jimmy Neutron and most recently, The Ant Bully) but I have a passion for landscape work, small paintings and exploring the properties of paint. This blog will mostly showcase my "painting-for-the-day" as kind of a personal voyage. I'll also be inserting sketches,photos and ideas of projects I am working on, that I can, when I can, so look for those every so often(usually as paint is drying!)

Monday, November 30, 2009

"YOU SHOULD BE WORKING! NOT SOCIALIZING!!!"

If there is a statement I disagree with more it's that one. I'm a pretty social guy. I like getting out. Example: This weekend was one big date book time-block out. Thanksgiving was celebrated at my friend Sal's home with him and his mother, Marianne and me and our friend Karen. All "orphans" of the holidays. Friday Evening we saw a movie, and Saturday we picked up our friend Helen from Australia for a week, and Saturday night I enjoyably attended my 30th High School Reunion, and Sunday we had another big party at Sal's with a housefull of good friends.

Another "artist" not long ago accused me in a chiding but semi-friendly way, that I enjoy myself too much. That "To Hell with these things! You belong at the board! Drawing and painting! And just do it all the time, let your wife go to these things!!!" and then retailed to me the story of how Norman Rockwell tied himself to his studio to the point he missed many holidays, and his family.
Despite the images he painted, his homelife was rather, I gathered dysfunctional, thanks to Workaholism.

I can't do that. I saw what Workaholism did to my Dad. I never saw him much and he missed alot of things. It was always he had to "get back to work" even on Christmas, etc. It was basically a life lost, in some respects, the way my mother saw it.

Balance is essential. This is NO DEADLINE that is that important. I build time into things and "crazy" deadlines I no longer take them on(unless it's a VERY cool project and ALOT of money).
A balanced life is a good life. Believe me on this. I had a wonderful weekend that I am still feeling a nice warm "glow" from. That's what life is all about.

6 Comments:

Blogger Nick Rose said...

Very well said Bob, I couldn't have said it better. Happy Holidays!

12:12 PM  
Blogger Christian Berntsen said...

Good show and good for you! By the same token I recently quit a company I co-founded. I had already scaled back my involvement there, but eventually left because--in part--it was no longer what I wanted to do, I wasn't doing my part as a result and I was very unhappy all around. I'm learning to live in the sense that I won't go on in situations like that anymore, and am looking for what works in my life and makes me happy. Take care.

1:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree more with you, Bob! Although in the past I have got caught up caught in the "all-work-no-play" system, I've always known that taking time out to spend with your friends and family is just as important as any work. As you say, it's all about balance.

8:40 AM  
Anonymous Joe Meils said...

Not to mention, socializing often gives me some great ideas... Thanks to a long conversation I had with a friend, I'm puttering around with a painting of an Orion-type drive spacecraft near Saturn...

5:11 PM  
Blogger Colin Michael Ashcroft said...

It's sad but sometimes I really feel cheated if I'm 'out and about', not actually having done anything creative for a whole day!

Yes you are right Bob, your health and family need some time too!

10:47 AM  
Blogger Patrick McWhorter said...

I needed to hear this, thank you Bob - and btw your paint application is amazing and your reptiles rock!

7:50 PM  

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