Art Instruction Blog
Zero Sum Game
I say the answer to the above is 10. But my math-wiz-friend, Chuck Greenia, says it’s "kind of a trick. In formal mathematics, multiplication and division are done before addition and subtraction, making the answer -80." Sheesh! Formal mathematics sounds even...
Single Stories
I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in a while who asked me where my hat was. I stammered, “what hat?” He said, “c'mon, you always wear a hat!” It is true that I sometimes wear hats; the sun can be murderous on bald heads. I was struck, however, that his experience with...
Rudolf Nureyev
Excerpts of a letter Rudolf Nureyev wrote, to the dance community about his own life as a dancer, while dying of AIDS. His words remind me of why I paint or act or write. Not for the glory but for the shear joy of doing, the simple thrill of exploring my curiosities,...
Private Lessons Rock
As Covid protocols continue to hang over us, we all have been making adjustments. I am giving my demos over zoom now, rather than in person. I have even been doing commission portraits completely virtual. My online shop has gone up and I'm selling work without ever...
The Art Market
The following is a frank assessment of the current art market, from this artist's perspective. As most of you know, I have an extensive catalogue of available artwork. It happens when you've been doing art for forty years. I've spent some time recently adjusting each...
Everyone Must Work
I was visited by God* in my dream last night where the story of heaven on earth unfolded before me. The dream made clear that Heaven doesn’t exist in another dimension or another location. Heaven is in the process of manifesting joy and wonderment in our present,...
Dr. John Vena
The Big Reveal It's always a pleasure when my work is appreciated. Today was the dedication of my portrait of Dr. John Vena, retiring chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences at MUSC. He served six years and transformed the department into the sixth rated PHS...
Wedding Portraits
As you know, I create portraits for every occasion. Wedding are a beautiful time in our lives and there is no better way to remember that awesome experience than with an oil portrait. Find out about my wedding portraits and the many ways we can devise to express the...
Seeing What We Want to See
Inattentional Blindness - Falling for the Trick We've all seen them on the internet. I'm talking about those amazing chalk drawings on sidewalks that look 3-D. Or those optical illusions that make things appear differently than they really are. These are examples of...
Drawing vs Copying
Looking Deeper I sometimes comment in FB groups, offering my humble critique, when asked. Here’s what I offered for this drawing on the left. Honestly, there is a huge difference between drawing and copying a photo. So much of what I see in this group is copying....










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Another great session at Peggy's with Mary. ... See MoreSee Less
Red Pump Skeleton - Maniscalco Gallery
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Red Pump Skeleton 12 x 16" oil on canvas panel From a life session at Peggy's. Mary again gets into character for us lucky few. Who needs another nude, right? But a nude with a skeleton peeking throug...Is realism dead? ... See MoreSee Less
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.That's why I love portraiture. It's more about the love we have in our life than it is about art. ... See MoreSee Less
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.Who will paint the portrait your grandchildren will know you by? ... See MoreSee Less
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A hand-painted family portrait becomes one of the few possessions your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will treasure long after everything else has been replaced. #family #children #familyfirst #legacy #familymemories ... See MoreSee Less
A hand-painted family portrait becomes one of the few possessions your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will treasure long after everything else has been replaced. ... See MoreSee Less