Abstract Painter.Art Educator.
David M. Kessler Fine Art
I began my painting career as a watercolor painter more than two decades ago. I loved it because of the way the water acts as a medium to let the paint flow onto, and be absorbed by, the paper. I eventually tired of the limited size of available paper and the need for framing and made the jump to painting in acrylics on canvas - thus retaining a water based medium, but on a larger substrate.
Read MoreDo you struggle coming up with abstract compositions to paint? My workshop students ask me all the time how do I determine what to paint?
Read MoreMy painting signature, which is not to be confused with my cursive handwriting signature, has evolved only slightly over my 24 years of painting. Early on I did not exaggerate the two "S"'s, or run the end of the "R" off the edge of the piece. Other than that it is nearly the same. Why would I not want my signature to change you ask?
Read MorePainting students have long asked how to loosen-up their painting techniques. Because of that request I developed my "Loosen-Up" Painting Workshops.
Read MoreNewspaper article about my switch from architecture to abstract painting.
Read MoreIn my most recent abstract painting workshop I noticed that the students had difficulty understanding edges and how to manipulate them, so I thought I might offer up some pointers on the subject.
Read MoreWhich of the above images do you find more appealing? The idea for the painting on the left sprang from the existing building shown on the right. Had I painted the building just as it is, the painting would have been dreadful - gray, drab, and uninteresting. Since I have no desire to paint in a realistic style I am free to interpret and create a scene of my choosing based on the bones of an existing place.
Read MoreIf you are a painter, do you paint without fear? Without fear of results? Without fear of mistakes? without fear of peer pressure? Without fear of failure?
Over my years as an artist I have taught many classes and workshops. The single most numbing factor I see affecting people's ability to paint is fear. They fear they aren't good enough in front of their peers. They fear making mistakes. We all make mistakes while painting, it is part of our growth process. If we don't fail, we won't learn to improve. Who cares if we make mistakes? It is just paint, paper and canvas right?
Read MoreI Paint Out Loud! Bold colors, expressive brushwork, large shapes, very little detail and large canvases. I attack the painting (before it has a chance to attack me) and let it know who's boss. I take control as soon as I get a new canvas by adding a coat of thick gesso in the same manner that I apply paint. This marks the canvas with my hand and forms a nice underlying texture for my painting.
Read MoreLast week in my gallery at the First Friday Gallery Hop a young fellow said to me: "I just don't GET abstract paintings." At the time I wasn't sure how to respond to the comment. After some thought on the subject I decided to illustrate parallels between my more representational work and my abstract work in hopes it will provide some understanding for those who may not GET abstract painting.
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