Motivational Blog
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...
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...
The P3 Movement
Guilty, as charged! But fortunately #forgiveness awaits, with the #purchase of @ThePowerofPositivePainting. #Learn to #draw and #paint. As a frequent art competition juror in the 1990s and 2000s, I noticed roughly over 80% of the representational entrants at local art...
Antifa vs the Frogs
I am forever wondering if I'm truly far left or if I'm just an empathetic person living in a late capitalist hell-scape, where I get called a commie for saying "hey maybe poor people don't deserve to starve." For the record, Antifa just means anti fascist. There is...
Hue-based Society
We live in a hue-based society. Most artists have an unhealthy addiction to hue. Our obsession with color, specifically the hue of a color, undermines our ability to see form objectively. The Power of Positive Painting, my 157 page full color book, is an an effort to...
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A competent portrait of the former president.  ... See MoreSee Less
At a portrait unveiling at Syracuse University on April 14, 2026, Joe Biden jokingly called Board Chair Jeffrey Scruggs to the stage, asking the crowd, “Doesn’t he look like Barack?” Biden quipped that he often mistook Scruggs for Obama. While the audience laughed, some found the moment awkward. The event celebrated Biden’s legacy at his law school alma mater
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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.Behind the Scene 11x 14″ original #oilpainting on linen, framed by the artist. A behind the scenes look at the glorious #sunflower, the great back actor. This is a continuation of my micro series where we take a closer look at #Common objects found in #nature. this is an homage to the iconic Van Gogh #painting with the similar perspective of the underneath of a Sunflower. ... See MoreSee Less
Unintended Consequences 96″ x 30″ oil on panel
The Three Perspectives:
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EAGLE: Look at me. I know what I am doing. My glorious mission gives me certain rights. Certain allowances. My voice is louder than yours. But that’s not what makes me right. Yes, I am intentional. I know what I want. And I speak for millions. While you speak for no one. | But the thing that makes me right, is that I speak for God, because I know he is with me because I feel his presence and His righteousness in my blood. That’s what makes me right. | Look at me. I’m perfect. Determined. My team will always win. Why? Because God is on our side. And if my team doesn’t win the battle, we will win the war. | And if we don’t win the war it will be because we failed to listen to God OR the devil corrupted our intentions. Therefore we must destroy evil, wherever it appears. We will find it together and we will flush it out. | Trust that I am in control and that God is with me. If you fail to obey me, as God’s chosen vessel, you will surely parish. You cannot hide from my eye. You cannot resist my charisma. Fear me if you must. Love me if you’re willing. But obey me, for I am your only hope.
DOG: Look at me. Do you think I need help? You think I’m weak. But I’m not. Sometimes I feel so big and strong, even though I know I’m not very strong or smart. But one thing I do know, is that he is strong. My leash tender. I trust the strength of those who know. His certainty is my comfort. My leash tells me I am in good hands. My collar is my Shepard; I shall not want.
GIRL: Look at me. I am flying. I’m flying high above the fray. God is with me. Nature is with me. We are one. God will protect me because I trust Him. I know God is IN the Eagle and the dog. And I know I am part of a larger story. The journey I am on is longer than my life or the dog’s life, or the Eagle’s life. It began long before I was born and it will never end. I am safe in the knowledge that I will never die. So nothing can harm me. I am at peace. ... See MoreSee Less
"My Backyard" are part of "Identity and Self" #exhibition at @parkcirclegallery through April 25. Lemme know if and when you'd like to meet me there for a #privatetour, Wednesday-Saturday. #artist #charlestonartist ... See MoreSee Less
In Charleston, the name Gedney Howe is legendary three times over.
My #oilportrait of Gedney @lawofficesofgedneyhowe Howe III in his office. I am so fortunate and honored to have been able to share some beautiful moments with such exceptional individuals and those who love them. Gedney Howe III is one such individual, a man who gave so much to this community, as Charleston’s preeminent attorney. I had the privilege of speaking with him briefly before he unexpectedly passed last year. We had planned the portrait to happen while he was still with us. Though in mourning, Gedney IV helped me capture the vision he had for his father’s portrait.
Gedney III and I had one very special person in common, the late Buzz Harper (the portrait above, the iconic gentleman in the white suit and red tie), our dear friend and the designer of the interior of this office, as well as the Calhoun Mansion, which when it changed hands, sadly lost the distinctive Harper touch. The chair in the portrait, once owned by President Howard Taft, a beautiful marble and lovely portrait grace the dark wood law bookshelves. Formidable, but reassuringly warm. Gedney stands confidently, but again, with a touch of warmth. He cared about the #law but he also cared for the people he served so well throughout his storied career.
The portrait will be on display at my exhibition, "Identity and Self" at the Park Circle Gallery in North Charleston, opening today, Friday April 3, 5-7 pm. The exhibition runs through April 25. ... See MoreSee Less