An artist in the making

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!