Robert blogs on art, creativity, politics, CSA, religion and culture. Many overlap into multiple categories, like motivational or random favorites. Robert is a life-long artist, writer, musician & actor, a professional creative his entire adult life. Born in 1959 in Detroit, he has lived in New York, New Orleans and currently in Charleston. His commission portraits and fine art are part of over a thousand collections throughout North America. Read his bio.
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LOVE
This Valentines I’d like to take a moment to admire those who take seriously the idea of love, integrating love into our daily lives. Love is a verb. Love is pure potential. Love is the life force that makes all things possible. Love is more action than feeling or...
The Unselfconscious Mark
I talk about the unselfconscious mark a lot. It is something all artists strive for, even realists. The idea of removing ego from the creative process is a tantalizing for many. To make a mark that has no guile, no agenda, no desire to please is the goal certainly of...
Press Release Identity and Self
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 26, 2026 "Now, that's Art to Believe" rm Contact: Robert Maniscalco, artist/author robert@maniscalcogallery.com mobile: 313-689-2993 click on text for more information ↓ Robert discovers old photo he took in 2010 and created a...
Susie Jackson
Susie Jackson This portrait of Susie Jackson came about as I was recently browsing my photographic archives, looking for a something to paint for the MOJA Exhibition, coming up at City Gallery. I stumbled upon some photographs I took in February 2010. At the time, I...
Best of Show Award
I'm humbled to report "Reflections on Nothingness" has received the Best in Show Award, in the 2026 Low Country Fine Art Showcase, for the second consecutive year in a row. The juror was multi-disciplinary artist Larry Moore, whose first response to my piece was,...
What is a Beginner
People may wonder why I teach mainly to "beginner" and "intermediate" painting classes. Why not hold more advanced workshops? The answer is simple. I don't believe in the concept of "advanced." If we are good, we are always dealing with fundamental issues when we...
Birthday – My Collaboration with Nick Cerrato
How Birthday was Born It was a glorious day, filled with discovery and serious sharing. It is a story some may find disturbing. They don't matter. "Birthday" was an idea that had been in Nick's mind for years. But he didn't have the ability to paint certain elements...
Why Ask Why?
"Why Ask Why?" is perhaps more to the point than, "to be or not to be?" I wrote a blog last month about my idea of why Nick, a beautiful young man with cerebral palsy, decided to purchase my painting, called Cassandra. You can read my story here, if you like, but the...
Identity and Self – an Exhibition
This touring exhibition, called "Identity and Self" is available for your museum or arts venue - contact Robert for 2026-27 schedule "Identity and Self" - An Exhibition Description "Identity and Self" exhibited at the Park Circle Gallery in April 2026 and...
The Great Reset
Whatever redeeming qualities Republicans of the past had, such as conservative values, fiscal restraint, etc., have been reset by the new Republicanism, otherwise known as Trumpism. The current MAGA/GOP will have to be completely remade after this dalliance with...
Nick and Cassandra
It was just another day of the indentured servitude at the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition, warm but not as bad as it can get. Trapped like rats for seventeen days in a row, out in the elements, selling our wares. I guess God thought I needed a reminder of just...
Mass Suicide or Great Awakening
As fascism descends up us, is it possible for us to get used to an all or nothing existence, an artless, meaningless world where people are systematically categorized and other-ized by a single man, our great leader, Donald Trump, where we are forced to devolve into...
The Schaap Center
Last night at the Grand Opening Gala of the Schaap center for the arts in Grosse Pointe, I was extremely proud and humbled to unveil my portrait of Carol and Paul Schaap. Thanks to Theresa Curis Selvaggio for the lovely introduction and helping to make the portrait a...
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My portrait of Miss Susie Jackson, along with "The Tan Suit," will be part of the upcoming MOJA exhibition at Charleston City Gallery, part of the city-wide MOJA Festival. ...
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Thank you Tom for your insight and perspective on the age old debate on nudity. Apparently, even male nudity from the waste up is a thing. I think ageism may have also been a factor - no one wants to see my sagging carcass. I'm proud I won, but I've been around long enough to know it could have easily been a bust - just not my bust. "Reflections" goes to Cincinnati next for a national show. I'm proud of the high quality this show is attracting, raising the artistic standards, if not the moral standards, of our region. This was my second 'best of' in as many years of the Lowcountry FA Showcase. Now, the question dangles tantalizingly over the horizon: should I go for three next year? Or quit while I'm ahead (but not a semi nude body!)? ...
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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.I am excited to announce my painting, "Gratitude" has been juried into the Fall 2026 Open Juried Exhibition of the Portrait Society of Atlanta! The exhibition will take place at the Quinlan Visual Arts Center in Gainesville, Georgia from October 3 to December 5, 2026. If you're in the Atlanta area definitely come check out the show! This painting will be available for purchase during the exhibition.
maniscalcogallery.com/product/gratitude/
#portraitsocietyofatlanta #painting #portraitpainting ...
Call Now
You are invited to an exhibition of my work and a lively Portrait Demonstration
PORTRAIT DEMONSTRATION
SEPTEMBER 15, @ 11:00 AM
at IOP REC CENTER, 24 28th Ave,
Isle of Palms, SC 29451
info: 843.886.8294
The exhibition will run from August 31 - September 19 ...
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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.Still wet on the easel, The Tan Suit has great significance, not only because Obama infamously wore one as President . . . Remember when this was such a terrible transgression? But making billions on buisness deals as President is okay? But I digress. This painting is from a pic I took in 2010 in front of Mother Emanuel Church, in a simpler time.
maniscalcogallery.com/product/the-tan-suit/ ...