Fine Art Blog
PSOAE 2025
Let there be Light! I invite you to find me at the corner of Calhoun and Meeting during the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition in Marian Square, a fabulous festival of great art by top artists in the south. Myself and 52 other great artists will be there in person...
Patrick Duffy Portrait
This past St Patrick's day was the big annual event at the Hibernia Society in Charleston. The Irish centered organization is a society, not a club, and is not affiliated with the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH). A National Historic Landmark, the Hibernian Hall was...
The Little Bird and the Hawk
This is a story about a boy whose parents talked him out of caring for an injured bird he found on his way home from school. "Get that thing out of here," his mother scolded. "He's full of germs!" "Let nature run its course," said his father. "It's wrong to interfere...
The Obstacle Course of my Life
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger I am a survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse, which deeply impacted my sensibility and sense of self worth. One positive that came out of it was it made me more sensitive to the suffering of others. Believe me, empathy is not...
Falling Leaves
A Grandma's love I'm very excited to show another recent commission. This one from a bunch of photos taken by a proud grandma. In this case, Cheryle gave me many options and said "surprise me." I have found, the more latitude a client provides an artist, the better...
Portrait of Butch
The Posthumous Portrait Challenge Here's an interesting recent commission, from a blurry B&W snapshot taken in the 1970s, evidently on an airplane. Butch passed away last year and his wife of many years decided to have her favorite pic of him made into a painting....
Wrong is Right on
Dannagal Goldtnwaite Young has written a book called Wrong, which was recently featured on an episode of Hidden Brain (on NPR), called, "Sitting with Uncertainty." Wrong is a very enlightening book that not only sheds a much needed light on our political divide but...
The Last Supper in Haiti
It was confirmed for me yesterday that the Watermission compound in Porta Prince, Haiti, where I painted the Last Supper mural fell out of their hands in 2023, when they abandoned the property and the country was taken over by gangs. This was part of my work on The...
Reactive vs Proactive Artists
I've been thinking about what kind of artist I want to be. After 45 years in the business, I think its time. Do I choose to respond to what other artists are doing successfully and turn myself inside out trying to beat them at their own game? Or dare I trod my own...
Mayor Joe Riley
Mayor Joe Riley Vernissage at the Citadel on July 16th, 2024 Today was a good day. I am so proud and excited that I finally was able to share my portrait of Mayor Joe Riley, commissioned by the Citadel Foundation for the Hall of Fame in the Daniel Library, joining the...
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The #Ghost of #Denmark Vessey, 24×20″ oil on linen, framed by the artist
#Vessey appears as an indomitable spirit, standing with dignity, bible in hand, as if he has risen above the hatred of the racists, who’s anger and fear, represented by a posse of angry white men, who have driven his body into the ocean. But they cannot touch his spirit, which endures forever. Denmark Vessey led the first slave revolt in SC and in America. This will be part of my upcoming exhibition at Park Circle Gallery in North Charleston Opening April 3 5-7 pm running through April.
More info:
www.facebook.com/share/18MGV5rPpw/?mibextid=wwXIfr ... See MoreSee Less
Remembering 20x 20″ oil on gallery wrapped canvas – currently on exhibit at @artattheedge Rivers Edge Gallery in Wyandotte, MI. See it in person!
An #oldbutgold #farmer / #hunter pauses to remember the days when everything made sense, if there ever was such a time. We get lost in the memories, which have depended and become something somehow better than how we remembered them. Something not typical for me, I am painting overcast conditions, not a direct, dramatic source of light. Ambient lighting is an opportunity to focus on local color, which I enjoyed very much. Perfect for the #collector's reading room or man cave or for those who revere old age and the worn crusty face of country wisdom. ... See MoreSee Less
“Emergence” is a painting about what happens when you finally stop hovering at the edge of your own life and step all the way in. In the piece, the figure is submerged in water, with the outside world slipping softly out of focus. There’s no safe distance here—only the quiet courage of surrender. The boundaries between self and environment begin to blur, inviting you to feel rather than analyze, to inhabit the moment rather than stand outside it.
This work is for the person who is done skimming the surface—someone who has felt the cost of distraction and now longs to be fully present with what matters: their relationships, their calling, their healing, their creativity. Hung in a space where you read, reflect, or simply breathe, “Immersion” becomes a visual nudge back to your own depth: a reminder that life doesn’t happen at the shoreline. It happens when you let yourself go under.
It will be part of my exhibition, "Identity and Self" at Park Circle Gallery opening April 3, 5-7 pm, running through April. ... See MoreSee Less
A special invite and great GIVEAWAY! The seventh person to PM me their email address will win a beautiful Lmt. Ed. Giclee. AND get your discount on all things ManiscalcoGallery.com.
Exhibition Opening April 3, 5-7pm
Park Circle Gallery - Through April ... See MoreSee Less
“Weathered Wisdom” is a portrait of a man that has earned every line.
In warm earth tones and expressive brushwork, this painting captures an elderly man whose gaze carries decades of work, loss, laughter, and quiet resilience. The textures of his beard, the worn brim of his hat, and the deep-set eyes invite the viewer to imagine the life behind them.
Ideal for a #collector who value #character, heritage, and #authenticity, this piece brings a grounded, #human presence into any room—like having an old friend or a trusted elder watching over the space. ... See MoreSee Less
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