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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Drawing and Painting for Everyone
At the end of a very fun four week drawing and painting class in my North Charleston studio I am so impressed with these first efforts in portraiture. I keep training my competition, sharing the best kept secrets. Why? Because I believe the joy of artistic expression...
Faith
We are taught to believe faith is that secret thought we have deep inside us. Faith is not that thing we profess out loud, that picture we present to the world, but the real truth of what we feel deep down in our being. I’ve come to understand Faith much differently....
The New Normal
I am dubious of the normal, particularly the new normal, where destructive, unhealthy, hate-filled voices are given credence. Their "common sense" solutions are often anything but. It's time to embrace our neurodiversity. Now more than ever, we need the ideas from...
Reverse Engineering History
Imagine what Hitler might have been able to accomplish if he'd had access to today’s social media, technology, wealth, weaponry combined with such intense levels of division and mistrust among his citizenry. Germany’s democracy collapsed under far less pressure. It...
Waking Up is Hard to Do
Trump is performing exactly as expected. His presidency is turning the status quo on its head, chipping away at democracy, discrediting, dismantling and undermining the institutions we’ve built up and have come to take for granted for so long. We are moving from a...
Vincent John Doe Piccolo Spoletto Wrap-up
We did it! Three amazing world premiere performances of Vincent John Doe at City Gallery, part of Piccolo Spoletto 2018, are now behind us. It was surreal for this playwright/actor, after all that work, over so many years, to receive standing O's, applause after each...
Rudderless Leadership
The right talks a lot about realists, that the POTUS is a decisive, bold, practical leader because he stands up to our allies and reaches out with respect to despots. But so far at least, he has conceded much and gained little in return. They think this behavior...
Capsule review: ‘Vincent John Doe’ opens speculative window on insanity, art and identity
What would happen if Vincent Van Gogh showed up in New York City today? That’s the pretext for the play “Vincent John Doe,” which just completed a three-day Piccolo Spoleto Festival run at the City Gallery. Charleston painter and actor Robert Maniscalco plays Van Gogh...
Dr. Timothy West Portrait
Dr. Timothy E West, MD is an early pioneer in the field of Infectious Disease here in Charleston, SC. His portrait will hang at Roper Hospital and was presented to him on May 5, 2018 as a surprise by his wife and Lowcountry Infectious Disease, his practice over many...
Aggressive Art Marketing
I love being an artist. It is a privilege. In recent years, however, it has also become a luxury. In fact it has become a vanity. It used to be that vanity galleries, founded by the super rich as tax shelters, were the rare. Nowadays, vanity galleries and coops seem...
Jerry Zucker Portrait
36″ x 48″ Governor & CEO Hudson’s Bay Company SC Icon The portrait features Mr. Zucker in dynamic repose, expressing his energy and vitality. The light streams in from a window behind. In the bookcases to his right are binders, containing his over 300...
Trump is Smart
Much has been said about DJT’s intelligence, or lack thereof. I think we can concede he is a very smart man, as he so often feels compelled to remind us. But as some people are smart with numbers or in their musical ability, Trump is smart in his own unique way. DJT...
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Thanks to Jeanette of Art & Faith Galleria for finding my portrait of Mother Teresa a good home. If you are in Royal Oak, MI, make it a point to stop in and see the amazing artwork, as well as Jeanette's unique and magnificent collection of icons and rosaries. The work at A&FG is not always overtly religious, but it is always awe-inspiring, reminding us that God is everywhere and in all things. I think this is a time where we are seeking a deeper meaning.
My portrait of Mother Teresa joins my Pope Leo portrait as my most recent art sales. I think God is trying to tell us something. What do you think?
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Check out my pet portrait July special: Get an oil portrait of your pet through the month of July for a special price!
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Barack and I were so honored to have @NjidekaAkunyiliCrosby create our portrait for the Obama Presidential Center. Her artistic brilliance shines through — and the way she infused such life and joy into the piece is truly extraordinary. We love it, and we think everyone who visits the Center will too!
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