Acrylic and airbrush are used to create this vivid and mesmerizing waterscape that is both romantic and magical.

Painter David T. Kessler masterfully creates the illusion of depth on flat surfaces, applying transparent layers of airbrushed paint on abraded and polished aluminum, adding in physical elements to refract light with various wire brushes. His preferred subject is abstracted waterscapes that incorporate realistic imagery. As he describes it, viewers are coaxed to appreciate “the incongruity of light being reflected from the metal surface, while at the same time being absorbed by the painted seas.”

For over 20 years, David has followed a photo-realist tradition, often vivifying landscapes from the Arizona desert where he lives. These highly complex and consummately crafted paintings have drawn the attention of collectors and curators from all over the country.

Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, Kessler received his BFA degree from Arizona State University in 1972 and his MFA from San Francisco Art Institute in 1975. His paintings have been exhibited internationally since 1977, with shows in Tokyo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and New York, and are in the permanent collections of the Brooklyn Museum, the Minnesota Museum of art and the United States Embassy, among others. He lives and works in Scottsdale.

Title: Lotus Abstraction
Artist: David T. Kessler
Medium: Acrylic on Metal
Dimensions: 22” x 48”