CSA Advocacy Blog

The Solution to Violence

The Solution to Violence

I am so proud of Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. Many of you may not know it, but her mother was married to my late father for many years. So she was my step sister, in what is now another lifetime ago. Now, I watch from afar, in great admiration. She is on the...

Race Conscious

Race Conscious

My son's friend, Daniel, called me a racist the other day because I made a joke about immigration. I said something "clever" about Mexican warlords and immigrants. I corrected him condescendingly and said somewhat dismissively, "no, I'm not a racist; I'm race...

Not Giving a F#ck

Not Giving a F#ck

Reading "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson, reinforced a few core principals for me The book read like a fully fleshed-out version of the RM Theory, a survival philosophy I devised in High School. As George Orwell said in 1984, "a good book tells you...

Underbelly of Abuse

Underbelly of Abuse

Chanel Miller, The Survivor My father didn’t want to ruin the reputation of the doctor at children’s hospital in Detroit who sexually assaulted me. Can you imagine the betrayal this young lady, Chanel Miller, Brock Tutner's victim, felt at the hands of our justice...

LSD Research

LSD Research

The following is a letter to his son from a loving father, in hopes it might help others who are struggling with drugs.The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Dear Richard, I’ve done some research to see if any of your assertions about the positive...

My Pillow

My Pillow

No, not that one! When I was a child I dreamt I ate a marshmallow and awoke to find my pillow missing. Gone! I vowed to never trust another pillow so completely as I did then, when I was but a foolish ten. I grew up so unruly, knowing I should never really rest my...

A Dire Warning

A Dire Warning

I am sickened by these Republican senators, who will likely put their political miscalculations before country, dooming us to fascism, an escalating culture of violence, in the years to come. Why? Because they don’t want to tick off their base. But if they don’t nip...

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

Maniscalco Gallery on Facebook

“The Fantasy” oi

“The Fantasy” oil on canvas 36" x 48", invites you into that lucid dream space where imagination feels more vivid than reality. In this oil painting, a solitary figure drifts through a dreamlike landscape of softened edges and impossible light. But the story is not fixed—you’re handed a doorway.

This piece lives in the uncertainty between escape and awakening. At first glance, it feels like a beautiful dream: rich color, fluid forms, and a sense of effortless drift. But stay with it, and you begin to notice the undercurrent—a quiet question about what we run toward, and what we’re trying to leave behind.

For the thoughtful collector, “The Fantasy” becomes a mirror for their own inner world. It speaks to anyone who has ever built a private refuge in their mind: the daydreamer, the creative, the survivor, the seeker who knows that fantasies can be both sanctuary and trap. The painting doesn’t judge that impulse; it honors it, and gently asks what new possibilities might emerge when we begin to bring those inner visions into the light of our real lives.

Hung in a living room, bedroom, or reading space, “The Fantasy” doesn’t just decorate a wall—it opens a conversation. With its layered symbolism and emotional depth, it’s the kind of work people return to, again and again, discovering new details and meanings as their own story evolves.
... See MoreSee Less

Three Little Buds is

"Three Little Buds" is a framed #oilpainting looking for a new home. “Three Little Buds” captures a tender moment of becoming: three rosebuds held in that brief, luminous stage before they open. The dew on their petals hints at fresh beginnings and quiet resilience after the rain. This piece speaks to anyone who feels on the edge of a new chapter—honoring both the vulnerability and the promise of what is about to bloom.

“Three Little Buds" is about beginnings and the quiet power of what hasn’t fully unfolded yet. I painted them at that in-between moment—still closed, but clearly full of life and color, with the dew clinging to them after a fresh start.
For me, the three buds might suggest three children / three important relationships / three versions of ourselves at different times, held together in the same space of light and nurtured by potential energy. The droplets are a reminder that renewal often comes right after the storm; there’s a softness and resilience there.
It’s a painting for someone who connects with the idea of growth, protection, and the beauty of what’s just about to bloom or has bloomed in their own life.
... See MoreSee Less

Heres the entire por

Here's the entire portrait. I love judicial portraits. What do you think of this portrait? Know anyone who wants a portrait legacy created? A portrait is how people know us when we're gone. ... See MoreSee Less

"Reflections on Nothingness" #existentialism This #painting is not a design choice; it’s a commitment to keep looking into the #mystery rather than numbing out. “Reflections on Nothingness” is a #meditation on the space between presence and absence—the quiet, unsettling recognition that everything we cling to is, in the end, temporary. This piece is for collectors who are not afraid to sit with the bigger questions: mortality, consciousness, and the strange beauty of existing at all. Hung in a study, retreat space, or #contemplative corner, it becomes less a decoration and more a companion for the long, honest conversations you have with yourself. Let me know if you'd like to the whole painting ... See MoreSee Less

A lot goes into maki

A lot goes into making a #oilportrait. Hands, drapery, leather chairs. I am going beyond #likeness; I make every element as true and deep as possible, without them taking away from the main event, which is soul of the sitter. That's the #art of #portraiture. Let me know if you want to see the entire #portrait are interested in creating your legacy ... See MoreSee Less

“Light” is a #pa

“Light” is a #painting about the moment before everything changes—the quiet split-second when intention becomes action. Set against a swirling, cosmic backdrop, the hands of God (or man?) hold earth or another planet to the flame of destruction (or enlightenment?). The painting invites you to consider both the beauty and the weight of what we choose to ignite in our lives. It holds the tension between our power to create and our responsibility to care. #Light is for those who think deeply about #purpose, #stewardship, and the mystery of #existence, “Light” becomes more than an artwork. It’s a daily reminder that even the smallest spark—an idea, a conversation, a decision—can shape entire worlds. There’s a moment—right before we act—when everything is still possible.
“Light” was painted for the people who feel that weight: the therapists, teachers, spiritual guides, scientists, and quiet leaders who know their choices ripple out farther than they can see. If you’ve ever looked at our fragile little planet and felt both awe and responsibility, this piece is meant to live in your space. A reminder that what you choose to ignite today matters. Where in your life are you ready to strike the match?
... See MoreSee Less

Load more

Would you like to get inspiration in your inbox, rather than ads for more stuff? Welcome to ManiscalcoGallery.com

I hope you love the information on my website. Allow me to send you my monthly newsletter to get the inside scoop on arts news, the latest blogs, opportunities for artistic fulfillment and a meaningful creative exchange of ideas! Get exclusive first looks at new pieces and join collectors receiving monthly studio insights.

Let’s Get Connected

Contact Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • What's your name?
  • Email address
  • We encourage you to send us a message

Visit us on Facebook