World Views Blog
When is Faster Better?
Here's today's first quick sketch, redeemed by the owner of GoCharlestonDeals.com. There are about three days left to get your sketches in, at half price. Check out that G0CharlestonDeals link above for more info about the deal. I find the element of time to be...
Perfectionism – The Perils of Making Rough Places Plane
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth. Luke 3:5 One might argue the spiritual arch is one of finding the middle. Over the millennia nature has a...
Fighting the Good Fight
"A man paints with his brains and not with his hands." Michelangelo Buonarroti Try explaining this to a fellow who's just spent $350 on art supplies, thinking if only he had the right brush, all his troubles would be over. His masterpiece is always around the...
My Personal Best
You can't do better than to do the best you can. Trouble comes when people base their concept of their personal best on a mental construct dragged up from their past experiences, or worse, the past experiences of others, which are no longer relevant. Every new...
Figure Painting Session
What interests me most is neither still life nor landscape: it is the human figure. Henri Matisse We had another figure drawing session at my studio last evening. Lots of fun. I have logged countless hours in front of the figure and always learning. These were two...
The Vernissage of The Real Princess Kate Portrait
The Real Princess Kate Portrait Last evening we had the much anticipated Vernissage of Cate's portrait "The Real Princess Kate," surrounded by dear friends. Now it is time to share it with the world. Click to see the finished portrait (She's in the center) The...
Surviving Spirit
When I hear the voices, real or imagined, clambering around me, of those who wish for me to fail, seeming hell bent on undermining my bliss, I have finally learned to laugh. Sure, I know my videos may be seen as silly, I know NETI is just a glimmer of the creative...
Is Art Cool?
Following is an excerpt from one of the Chapters in my book, Point of Art. I’m not a cool person. They can dress me up to look cool. I’ve played cool on TV. But I’m really not cool. That’s ok, I’m cool with it. On the other hand, with all this talk about “cool cities”...
Those Who Teach, Stand the Most to Learn.
"I know no more sacred duty than to rear and educate a child." Ludwig van Beethoven. If you want to learn something, really learn it, try teaching it. Often, in my classes, I ask other students to explain a concept with which they themselves are struggling. Putting...
Negative People
I wonder about all these "negative" people my friends talk about from whom they always seem to be running. Who are they? I have a hunch that sometimes these "negative" people, or non-people, may really be those who don't happen to tow our line; the ones who may not...
Would you like to get inspiration in your inbox, rather than ads for more stuff? Welcome to ManiscalcoGallery.com
Maniscalco Gallery on Facebook
"Three Little Buds" is a framed #oilpainting looking for a new home. “Three Little Buds” captures a tender moment of becoming: three rosebuds held in that brief, luminous stage before they open. The dew on their petals hints at fresh beginnings and quiet resilience after the rain. This piece speaks to anyone who feels on the edge of a new chapter—honoring both the vulnerability and the promise of what is about to bloom.
“Three Little Buds" is about beginnings and the quiet power of what hasn’t fully unfolded yet. I painted them at that in-between moment—still closed, but clearly full of life and color, with the dew clinging to them after a fresh start.
For me, the three buds might suggest three children / three important relationships / three versions of ourselves at different times, held together in the same space of light and nurtured by potential energy. The droplets are a reminder that renewal often comes right after the storm; there’s a softness and resilience there.
It’s a painting for someone who connects with the idea of growth, protection, and the beauty of what’s just about to bloom or has bloomed in their own life. ... See MoreSee Less
Here's the entire portrait. I love judicial portraits. What do you think of this portrait? Know anyone who wants a portrait legacy created? A portrait is how people know us when we're gone. ... See MoreSee Less
"Reflections on Nothingness" #existentialism This #painting is not a design choice; it’s a commitment to keep looking into the #mystery rather than numbing out. “Reflections on Nothingness” is a #meditation on the space between presence and absence—the quiet, unsettling recognition that everything we cling to is, in the end, temporary. This piece is for collectors who are not afraid to sit with the bigger questions: mortality, consciousness, and the strange beauty of existing at all. Hung in a study, retreat space, or #contemplative corner, it becomes less a decoration and more a companion for the long, honest conversations you have with yourself. Let me know if you'd like to the whole painting ... See MoreSee Less
A lot goes into making a #oilportrait. Hands, drapery, leather chairs. I am going beyond #likeness; I make every element as true and deep as possible, without them taking away from the main event, which is soul of the sitter. That's the #art of #portraiture. Let me know if you want to see the entire #portrait are interested in creating your legacy ... See MoreSee Less
“Light” is a #painting about the moment before everything changes—the quiet split-second when intention becomes action. Set against a swirling, cosmic backdrop, the hands of God (or man?) hold earth or another planet to the flame of destruction (or enlightenment?). The painting invites you to consider both the beauty and the weight of what we choose to ignite in our lives. It holds the tension between our power to create and our responsibility to care. #Light is for those who think deeply about #purpose, #stewardship, and the mystery of #existence, “Light” becomes more than an artwork. It’s a daily reminder that even the smallest spark—an idea, a conversation, a decision—can shape entire worlds. There’s a moment—right before we act—when everything is still possible.
“Light” was painted for the people who feel that weight: the therapists, teachers, spiritual guides, scientists, and quiet leaders who know their choices ripple out farther than they can see. If you’ve ever looked at our fragile little planet and felt both awe and responsibility, this piece is meant to live in your space. A reminder that what you choose to ignite today matters. Where in your life are you ready to strike the match? ... See MoreSee Less
Have you had an #oilportrait of your #children made yet? Now is the best time to #create an #heirloom #portrait by one of America's top portraitists. ... See MoreSee Less