Fine Art Blog
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Three Consecutive Awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 4, 2021 Contact: Robert Maniscalco, author [email protected] mobile: 313-689-2993 NewsFlash: Beacon of Hope has won the "Charleston Award" at the Coastal Carolina Fair in the Fine Arts Exhibition, bringing his competition wins...
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...
Working Through Pain
A Brave Front Most people know me as a go getter, whatever that is. I'm a doer. I am always trying to make something happen, always hustling. But years of negative messaging from myself and others, in the form of CSA and verbal trauma, and the resulting anxiety and...
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,...
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...
Essential Still Life
What is an Essential Still Life? View Custom Still Lives Robert has Done for Others In addition to my oil portraits I can create a very personal still life, perhaps celebrating a bride’s wedding, or other monumental event, with an “essential still life” remembering "a...
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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"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
"Jennifer's Flowers" is a recent painting. Can you see how it is a depiction of lovers? How does it make you feel? ... See MoreSee Less
What is existence? Are we really spiritual beings, made in God's image? #existence #charlestonsc #painting #artcollector ... See MoreSee Less