Imagine
growing up in a family of 10 children on a Kentucky farm in the mid-20th
century; being bright to the point of genius; utilizing mundane objects to
devise methods of satisfying your intellectual curiosity and developing your
own toys from wood and clay; converting an unused outhouse into a science laboratory
for exploration; paying your college expenses by serving as a
restaurant
cook; falling in love, getting married, and becoming the father of a beautiful
daughter and a handsome son; developing one business after another only to fail
because of inadequate capital, and finally achieving success with a major
business, only to find that your vision is being stolen by macular degeneration
at the age of 32.
And,
even with the on-set of macular degeneration which quickly leads to blindness, imagine
refusing to give up or to feel sorry for yourself. Instead, with the assistance
of the Kentucky
Department
of the Blind, imagine acquiring equipment that can enlarge materials, and
imagine continuing the business, even expanding into two additional regions.
After
achieving major success, imagine that it is time to retire and to sell the business,
yet staying on for a number of years as president at the behest of the new owner.
At this point the imagination ceases. You have just witnessed a recounting of
the early to middle life of the legally-blind professional
artist, James Kessinger. James
Kessinger Fine Art Gallery
contains many of the beautiful abstract paintings, abstract acrylic canvas
paintings, and original artwork
by blind artist James Kessinger.
James’
ambitions and entrepreneurship encountered a circuitous route to success. In
1966, James was granted the first of two patents in electronics testing and
measurement. At that time, he formed Kessinger Industries, an electronics manufacturing
company in Elizabethtown, KY, to produce his patents for the Department of
Defense. In 1972 he sold this company and originated WK Products, a commercial salvage
company, also in Elizabethtown. The year 1976 was when James was diagnosed with
macular degeneration.
Over
the next several years, his vision continued to deteriorate, and in 1979, he sold
WK Products. Shortly thereafter, he became general manager of the packaging division
of Belknap Inc. in
Ocoee,
FL. While with Belknap, he created, in Orlando, FL, Line Associates, a design and
marketing company with emphasis in retail display.
In
1984, James’ vision loss had reached such a debilitating stage that he left his
business and returned to be near family in Kentucky. Soon after, James began painting. James’ works were immediately recognized as
extraordinary. Very quickly his innovative mind visualized an even more refined
artistic procedure, and his Strata Reduction technique, a new and vibrant form of
Abstract Impressionism, was born.
Strata Reduction is a painting
process wherein James paints multiple-layered pictures on one canvas, each
fully covering the one behind it, with each picture complementing the previous one.
Main features of each painting are strategically located so that when the
layered painting is complete, sections of the painting may be sanded to reveal
portions of the features underneath.
The
painting that results from this feature placement and sanding technique
produces a finished and purely non-derivative work of art with incomparable aesthetics
and depth. The result, spectacular abstract acrylic paintings which are for
sale to the public. James’ work has garnered high praise from art experts, such
as Ray Taylor, art curator, auctioneer, and TV personality.
According
to Mr. Taylor, "In the fall of 2008, I received three grainy faxes of James Kessinger’s art. I
glanced at it and summarily threw it in the trashcan next to my desk. Why?
Because so many amateur artists, after they discover how hard it is to paint,
decide to paint an ‘abstract.’ It’s usually a muddled mess and certainly
nothing new on today’s art scene. After an hour or so, the faxes began to nag at
me. I picked them up, straightened them out, and began to look at them with a
far more critical eye. They were good. They were really very, very good. I
called Mr. Kessinger and was pleasantly surprised to hear how intelligent and how
well-versed on many subjects he was. He mentioned he had macular degeneration and
was very nearly blind. We discussed the matter, and I arrived at the conclusion
that there was simply no need to sell his paintings as novelty. They are so
good that there still is no need. I was selling his 69th painting, and a client
asked why he added ‘TBA’ after his name. I replied ‘It stands for 'The Blind Artist.’ It was
at that moment that our collectors began to see his art in a whole new light.”
Soon
James was offered opportunities for his work to be shown through a variety of
medium, such as televised art show auctions, one-man displays, large city
charitable endeavors, and university galleries. Such exposure swiftly led to
increased purchase of his talent and an escalation in requests for custom,
commissioned pieces for individuals, for large law firms and businesses, and for
foreign, as well as domestic, collectors. You can now own these beautiful abstract paintings by blind
artist James Kessinger.
Today,
James sells his abstract
acrylic paintings on his website, www.jameskessingeroriginals.com.
For a limited time this summer, James is offering a 50% off all of his abstract acrylic canvas art
work. To learn more about owning one of these rare paintings, visit his website
today!
