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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50 Reasons Why Your Kid (YOU!) Should Learn to Draw and Paint
50 Reasons Why YOU Should (and still can) Learn to Draw and Paint My big message in school presentations (and wherever someone is listening) has always been: visual literacy is possible and available to everyone, no talent or golden ticket required. And yet, today's...
Painting with ADHD
"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." — Thomas Edison Embracing Your "Limitations" Some of the best artists I know live in a world of chaos called ADHD. They love to play in the mud of ambiguity. I'm not sure if it's because ADHD is more...
Awakening Marsh Demo
Awakening Marsh - Demonstration Sometimes a demo is just what the students (and teacher) needs to get the juices flowing. Awakening Marsh was a demo for students from a photo I've been eying for a while. I don't often take on sun rises but I wanted to just...
Crying in the Face of Beauty
Why Do We Cry? "We cry only in the face of beauty." Alan Langdon, legendary acting coach I'm not sure where Alan got this quote but it has always stuck with me, not only in my career as an actor but also in my career as a human. There is a lot of insight packed into...
Brush with Wine Events
Brush with Wine As an experiment to find out what's up with all those Wine and paint party venues popping up all over the place I asked myself, what if we tweaked this party-paint-along concept to make it more meaningful and not just a drunken brew-ha-ha? I like the...
50 Reasons Why Playing Music Is Good For Your Kids
50 Reasons Why Playing Music Is Good For Your Kids My son Danny asked me for three good reasons why he should continue playing violin. I gave him 52. Teaches discipline. Teaches us how to be free within specific structures. Teaches problem-solving. Breaking down a...
Mary Draws How She Wants to be Like Our President
"Mary when she grows up" I want to be like our President Mary wants to be a hero when she grows up; she wants to be like the President, and do everything she can to stop the bad guys from hurting innocent children, like President Obama wants to do in Syria. We...
50th Anniversary of the March on Washington 2013
March on Washington 2013 "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Dr. Martin Luther King In response to this famous MLK quote, a friend...
Finding NETI
As a followup to the original NETI intorductory short, this movie explores the man behind the myth, asking the hard questions about existence and whether identity is real or imagined. How can NETI be that he is not? And if he is not, then what is he not?...
Triggering My Abuse – the music video
We had such fun making this music video at a recent Soiree with friends. It's absurd and hilariously ridiculous, an absolutely essential healing and cathartic experience. Don't be turned off by the taboo title. At some point we just have to laugh about these stories...
Jesus Slept
This is the poem that so many asked me about during a recent poetry reading at The 827. Come read your poems there too, every Wednesday evening at 7:30 - 9pm. While there, take in the NETI exhibit. When I say take it in, I mean TAKE IT IN! Like a poem. ...
Bored With Youth
I am bored with Youth NETI I admit it. I am bored with youth. It can be downright frustrating when younger people disrespect my age, negating my life experience and assume, in their youthful exuberance, that I am some old buffoon, not to be taken seriously; that...
Maniscalco Gallery on Facebook
As bad as the first one was, to which he so vehemently objected, the second one is far worse. It's a very scary painting. It is based on his new official photo, which is frightening. THIS IS NOT a criticism of the artists's skills. He looks like a monster, right out of the 1950s. You had Frankenstein, Dracula, the Werewolf, now comes the Trump. The malevolence is astounding. I guess he thinks it makes him look powerful and intimidating. I think they accurately reflect the dark soul of the subject. ... See MoreSee Less
New Trump portrait donated by White House hangs in Colorado Capitol after earlier one drew his ire
apnews.com
Last spring, Trump posted on social media that Sarah Boardman “must have lost her talent as she got older” and “purposely distorted” him, criticisms the Colorado Springs artist denied.Thanks Sue Jaissle Williams for bringing this story to my attention. It's a double whammy. Of course, there's the portrait connection; she's quite an artist. But also, I've been dealing with mine and now my kids social anxiety for years. It's a real thing, exacerbated by COVID and the current political polarization.
I think the way Molly chose to deal with it is absolutely brilliant. I've always said, there's no stopping a person of reasonable intelligence and perspicacity, from achieving mental wellness. I particularly appreciate how Molly owned the problem, an essential first step to any healing process. ... 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.About Having a Maniscalco Portrait - Maniscalco Gallery ... See MoreSee Less
About Having a Maniscalco Portrait - Maniscalco Gallery
maniscalcogallery.com
When I think about the subject for a portrait I try to do is get a sense of how they move through space, their rhythm and energy.Check out my new video, "A Legacy Portrait" on my commission portrait page and just follow the floating head!
I explore legacy and the why of portraiture.
Have you ever seen an oil portrait that evoked a
memory, connection or feeling? ... See MoreSee Less
About Having a Maniscalco Portrait - Maniscalco Gallery
maniscalcogallery.com
When I think about the subject for a portrait I try to do is get a sense of how they move through space, their rhythm and energy.ICYMI, I am extending this Family Portrait offer to the end of June! Check it out!
#portraitpainting #portraitartist #portrait #portraitart #oilportraitpainting #selfportraiture #selfpower #proudfamily #familypride #Celebratethelight #capturethemoment
maniscalcogallery.com/family-portrait-offer/ ... See MoreSee Less
There are people who understand the collaborative process and actually enjoy jamming and building an idea with an artist they respect.
Here I invite you to read my thoughts about the commission process.
#commission #commissionart #commissionartist #customart #artondemand #MakingArtMagic #MakingArtWork #commissionportrait
#portraitpainting #portraitartist #portrait #portraitart #oilportraitpainting #selfportraiture #selfpower #proudfamily #familypride #Celebratethelight #capturethemoment ... See MoreSee Less
A Commission as Collaboration - Maniscalco Gallery
maniscalcogallery.com
There are people who understand the collaborative process and actually enjoy jamming and building an idea with an artist they respect.