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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Dr. John Vena
The Big Reveal It's always a pleasure when my work is appreciated. Today was the dedication of my portrait of Dr. John Vena, retiring chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences at MUSC. He served six years and transformed the department into the sixth rated PHS...
Wedding Portraits
As you know, I create portraits for every occasion. Wedding are a beautiful time in our lives and there is no better way to remember that awesome experience than with an oil portrait. Find out about my wedding portraits and the many ways we can devise to express the...
Self Esteem, Entitlement and White Privilege
The Trap of Self-esteem The self-esteem craze began with the Power of Positive Thinking, years ago. I certainly have written my fair share on the subject. This approach to life has also become known as the Law of Attraction. Basically, the premise is, "if you can...
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...
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....
The Power of Positive Painting Story
People thought I was crazy trying to create a system that would make drawing and painting available to anyone who applied themselves, what I call the "democritization" of art. That was the goal, to distil the processes of master realists and combine them with the...
Carolina Arts review of The Power of Positive Painting
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
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
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...
Time for a Wealth Tax
The game is rigged alright. We’ve all been pitted against each other while the man gets away with the loot. When, oh when will we wake up to the biggest scam in history? It is time we had a wealth tax. We need a way to reverse the incredible income inequality that has...
Maniscalco Gallery on Facebook
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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 rather like this portrait. ... See MoreSee Less
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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.What a great opening night! I think we hit the mark. I'm in awe of the level of talent and dedication to message behind this show and its timeliness. We need to wake people up and turn on a light. ... See MoreSee Less
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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 don't like to politicize this page but I don't care for portraits being weaponized in this manner.  ... See MoreSee Less
Trump moves Obama, Bush portraits to hidden stairwell
www.yahoo.com
Once a dramatic feature of the White House entryway, the official portrait of former President Barack Obama has been moved to a decidedly less prominent position, underscoring the years-long tensions ...This was part of the recent NOAPS best in America show as well. ... See MoreSee Less
See the Light - Maniscalco Gallery
maniscalcogallery.com
Is the light in his eye placed there by God or is it merely a reflection of the light around him? What is this beautiful soul looking at?