Fine Art Blog
“My First Painting” by Cate Maniscalco
Today I'm proud to feature an extended BLOG by my wife, the courageous Cate Maniscalco. Week one: Wednesday morning, the sun shining bright on a warm, beautiful mid-November day, tearing ourselves from one another, I realize the time. Oh my, Rob's painting class...
Words and the Right Brain
Whatever you put in is what will come out, recycled as something else. For instance, I wonder about using music with lyrics as a "background" for painting. Personally, I use instrumental music. If I hear lyrics it activates my left brain, which tends to think of...
Ambition and Bliss
What will be the judgment a century hence concerning the lauded works of our favorite composers today? Inasmuch as nearly everything is subject to the changes of time, and, more’s the pity, the fashions of time, only that which is good and true, will endure like a...
Obama Portrait Items on Sale
What better way to celebrate President Barack Obama's second inauguration than with a fine art poster, teeshirt or coffee mug? For those who sleep better knowing he is President, this is a great opportunity to share the love. For those who don't, may I mention they...
Recent Lowcountry Live Appearance
Back in December 2012 I exhibited some paintings alongside a Charleston icon, the late great, Anne Worsham Richardson. Here I talk about the work and the posthumous collaboration with Anne. [youtube]VwRN7T_nL1A[/youtube]
The Advent of Creativity
The Advent of Creativity I wanted to pass on the Christmas wish I recently shared with one of my coaching clients: In our last conversation, we dug pretty hard into the many ego-infused reasons why we do what we do. My ulterior motive being, if we hold a...
Trenton Michigan Talk from 4/26/01
Honored guests, Over the years, I have been widely praised, while at times villainized as a vigorous advocate and promoter for the arts. I stand accused of being a flagrant self promoter. It’s true, I speak boldly about the exhibits at my gallery which feature local...
Portrait of an artist
Portrait exhibit shows work by former eastsider Robert Maniscalco It could be said that artist Robert Maniscalco works in the family business. Like his father — renowned portrait painter Joseph Maniscalco — he’s a portrait painter. And following in his father’s...
Would you like to get inspiration in your inbox, rather than ads for more stuff? Welcome to ManiscalcoGallery.com
Maniscalco Gallery on Facebook
"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
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 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 #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
Have you had an #oilportrait of your #children made yet? Now is the best time to #create an #heirloom #portrait by one of America's top portraitists. ... See MoreSee Less