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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Retro Portrait
Among the many portrait commissions I'm finishing in time for Christmas is this little gem. "Dodo" was created from a photograph taken in the 1930s. I wanted to capture the feel and painting sensibility of that period as I worked. The client has in mind a whole...
Are Quick Studies More Professional?
Talent has more to do with our ability to to assimilate and integrate new information into what we already know than any special genetic predisposition. Some are quicker on the uptake. But often these people lose interest in their natural abilities. Those who...
Holiday Portraits
Charleston Portrait Painter carries the torch his father lit 45 years ago! I am blessed this year with some great holiday portrait commissions. Here is one of them finding its happy home, delivered by none other than Santa himself. Gene and Georgie Wambold are one of...
It’s a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life. It's a treasure and a pleasure to be in it. I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to embrace the character of George Bailey, the everyman, broken by desire, redeemed by love and grace in a musical version of the perennial favorite...
The Last Supper
More rough draft from my journal in Haiti. . . I was in lock down at the Watermission compound in Porta Prince for the weekend so I decided to make the best use of time by painting a 12' mural knockoff of da Vinci's The Last Supper (slightly less than actual size) on...
Haiti, Into the Light
I am working on the picture book, chronicling my personal experiences in my recent trip to Haiti. The working title is, "Haiti, Into the Light." I took over 1,600 photos and wrote pages of notes in preparation for the next phase of The Quench Project. Here are are...
Are You a Tetrachromat?
How would you like to be able to see 100 million colors? There are those among us who have this super power, called Tetrachromacy, which I'm guessing, many artists would give their right nut to have. Unfortunately, it is a women only thing. Men cannot be...
Art Is Where You Find It
Chalkboard art makes a comeback! I love discovering beauty where others see only a mess. Some of my favorite artists use found objects as their sole medium. What a great way to recycle trash. These are a couple of the endless examples of the amazing things and...
Control
People first approaching the arts often assume that total freedom is achieved through the abandonment of structure or giving into complete chaos. Seasoned artists know that true freedom is the result of structured chaos. On the other hand, the idea that we can...
Enlightenment
In every story there are pieces of the problem that cry out for resolution. There is often confusion and pain. We wish things were not what they seemed to us to be. But present also in every problem, are pieces of the solution which will eventually lead to...
Dorothy Lee Barnett Courtroom sketch
Dorothy Lee Barnett Arraignment Aside from the historical significance of this notorious, unsolved mystery finally being resolved, another piece of Charleston history was made on Monday, September 29, 2014. So far as I know, I was the first court sketch artist to...
Judgment vs Discernment
Distinguishing between Judgment vs discernment is the first step in the creative process. Observational drawing is not about pleasing myself; it is about pleasing God. rm I've written extensively about how ego is the main saboteur in our creative process. That's why...
Maniscalco Gallery on Facebook
"Tempus Fugit" captures the instant fire and ice meet, when strange entities are released into the human psyche. Another collaboration between myself and artist Nick C. Cerrato. ...
"Light" captures the moment of decision. To enlighten or to inflame? ...
"Darkness and Light" is my latest collaboration with Nick C. Cerrato. It can be appreciated simply as an #abstract expressionist #painting and closer up as a deep narrative meditation on darkness and #light. ...
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The grand arbiter of taste, who definitely would not recognize a Van Gogh if it hit them in the face. With apologies, of course, to all those who've awarded me over the years, and to those who haven't. This is one more reason I detest authority. When I've played the role of juror, I always feel it necessary to write about each of the works, something kind and something to work on. I see the role of juror is not to judge, but uplift and encourage people who've put their heart and soul on the line. I usually pick the piece most reasonable people would agree was award worthy. And I can tell you why. I think contests should exist to support deep study and commitment to the purpose of art, which is to open our eyes to something heretofore unseen. It is the juror's job to really see the artists' work, in such a way that each artist will know they have been seen. ...
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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.Evil's Place, another collaboration with Nick Cerrato. I know you can't zoom in on insta so I will tell you God is pressing the devil into his place, while multiple figures reacts to the battle of good vs evil. NFS ...