Interview with Robert Maniscalco
By Jan Titsworth

Jan: Rob, you've been painting for nearly three decades as a professional portrait painter. How did your early life influence you as an artist? Rob: Well Jan, "art" was the spoken language in our home. Growing up as the youngest in a household of four kids, with a single father who also happened to be Joseph Maniscalco, a nationally renown portrait painter, I'm not sure there was ever any doubt about what I wanted to do. In fact, my mother and father met at the Art Students' League in NYC. Jan: Who besides your mother and father influenced your journey as an artist?

Rob: When I was growing up I copied a lot of the old masters' paintings, trying to emulate their style. Delacroix, Rembrandt, Sargent were all influences.
Jan: I've heard that artists must "make room" for art by sometimes choosing it over other areas of their lives. Has that been true for you, and if so, how?
Rob: I think I've relied on my talent to be my calling card, my entree' into the world. Consequently, I think I've sacrificed to some extent, my personal relationships. I've built my life around my art and now that I have two beautiful young children I think I finally know why I've worked so hard to become a successful artist.
Jan: Besides being a painter, you're a published author, accomplished musician; actor, director and you have a beautiful singing voice. If you were financially secure, without worry of bringing in an income, and could do anything you wish, would you be following a different path?
Rob: Through the years I've tried to find a common thread that connects my various muses. I think my role as a television host on Art Beat (PBS) came close to combining my talents in a meaningful way. As my dharma, painting has become more and more meaningful to me in my desire to express the deepest part of who I am through my art.
Jan: Let us look at "Light and Shadow" as it applies to life itself. Many great artists give credit to their ability to embrace both light and shadow that comes into their lives. How has this impacted your art?
Rob: At this point in my life I am no longer haunted by the demons I carried from my youth. It gets old or we get old, one of the two or both. The new medications are a great help. Imagine if poor Van Gogh had had a little tab of Resperdol now and then. But then of course would we have had "The Starry Night?" Who knows? One of these days I may buy into my own philosophy from "The Power of Positive Painting" to become the optimist I've always dreamed of being. But always on the other side of that coin is the fact that we cannot be fully human until we embrace both the light and dark sides of our being.
Jan: What is your greatest challenge as a portrait painter?
Rob: Painting the same businessman's suit over and over again! No seriously, I think ascertaining and capturing the personality; the voice of each subject requires a laser-like focused commitment to excellent painting.
Jan: Your greatest joy as a portrait painter?
Rob: I have to say it's when people appreciate what I've done for them. My talent has opened a lot of amazing doors to me. The universe has been beddy, beddy good to me. I'm very proud of the fact that portrait painting is the only job or career I've ever had. It's almost as if I'd never worked a day in my life. It's not a bad life. I've made a career out of my talent and creativity.
Jan: I can tell you that having had you paint my portrait was life changing and a life affirming experience. The one you did in 95 continues to give me great joy and inspiration. So thanks for that.
You've been teaching now for almost as long as you've been painting. What advice would you give a fledgling artist just starting out?
Rob: Develop a learner's mindset. Make yourself into an insight-processing machine. Take good coaching when it's available. And don't settle for the easy way. That's the path to the dark side of the force. On the other hand, the best solutions come from the most elegant and deceptively simple processes. Discovering those processes is the key to success. We can only fail when we stop trying.
Jan: What gem of knowledge and experience would you choose to give them to assist them on their journey?
Rob: Our biggest obstacle to success will always be our own ego. This is especially true in the arts.
Jan: Art in education has become a luxury in many of our schools today. What impact do you believe exposure to the arts has on becoming a well-rounded member of society?
Rob: The creative problem solving required to make real art puts that individual at an unfair advantage over his/her peers. However, for those lucky enough to excell in a strong arts environment, the trick is getting them to apply their gifts to something that will be meaningful and still make some money. Some of the most brilliant minds in the world are "wasted" in the arts. But in the final analysis everyone benefits from an arts education.
Jan: Your workshops have been enormously popular for over ten years now. Who would benefit from taking the one here in April, and for those who aren't interested in painting portraits, how could the workshop improve their painting?
Rob: For beginners it is an excellent introduction to the basics of painting. For advanced painters it is a reinforcment of the basics with nuances and subtleties thrown in for good measure. People find it quantifies the process for them and gives them the tools to create consistency in their work.
Jan: When painting from life, what advice would you offer that would help to create dynamic compositions? How does one avoid the mundane or clichés in compositions?
Rob: I make use of thumbnail sketches a lot in my work and in teaching. Start with the most "mundane" or expected composition and then move the objects around in the format (the frame) until you have arrived at the unexpected, more original composition.
Jan: How might a pastelist or watercolorist benefit from the method of painting you teach?
Rob: You are right to call it a method that I teach, rather than a technique. The P3 method teaches how to see and interpret, combining left and right brain functions in a way that allows for honest observation. Techniques may change depending on the media but learning to see is a universal necessity.
Imagine expecting music from someone who can't even play a scale. Ear training is essential for musicians. The P3 method is eye training for the artist. I work very hard to keep my teaching from becoming subjective or arbitrary. This allows for maximum self-expression in the long run. If you want to paint a green background, for instance, I won't try to talk you out of it. I'll show you how to integrate it and make it more harmonious with the rest of the painting.