Hi Robert,

I am an artist, Ron Gianola, from Detroit living in northern Michigan. I have a story you may find interesting. I was a student at Arts and Crafts, later CCS, for years. Automotive Industrial Design, Illustration, later Fine Arts. Around the mid 80’s I started oil painting. I wanted a good medium duty easel. I saw an ad for one at the Scarab Club, good price. I called, it was from Joe Maniscalco, who I did not know, but certainly knew of. We met, had a nice chat. When I told him my story, he said he would sell it to me with one condition; that I promised him I would use it. I assured him I was going to use it, and we had a deal.

I still have it and use it. I am coming up on my 600^th painting with it. You can enjoy some of them at my web site: rongianola.com along with a long bio from those days of my cars, figures, landscapes, Hawaii, and my current abstracts. Hopefully you can appreciate some of it.

I realize I have strayed far afield from my initial realism concerns, while you have mastered them, so thank you for being open to it.

I thought you might like to know, take care,

Warm regards,

Ron Gianola

What a fantastic story. And your art and website are a wonderland of delight. Your work seems to go on forever, with no beginning or end. Crazy beautiful. Loved getting lost in it.Thanks for allowing me to share this story and your amazing mission.  RM