Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association

Composition & Color Theory in Realist & Abstract Art explores how artists use the foundational principles of design and color to create impactful imagery across both representational and non-representational styles. This lecture examines how elements like balance, contrast, rhythm, and harmony function in realist art to guide the viewer’s eye and convey narrative, while also revealing
how these same principles are transformed and amplified in abstract art to evoke emotion, movement, and conceptual depth. The talk highlights the universal language of composition and color, demonstrating their power to transcend style and create meaning.

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​Glen Kessler is an internationally collected and awarded artist as well as the founder of The Compass Atelier in Rockville, MD, Compass Art Center in Kensington, MD, and inventor of The Painters Compass Color Wheel. Kessler has a MFA from New York Academy of Art and a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art. His works have graced the cover of ‘Professional Artist Magazine’ and in ‘The Artists' Magazine’ among other publications. He has work in the public collections of King Charles III, Amazon Web Services, Ford's Theater, Capital One Bank, Dominion Bank, as well as hundreds of private collections around the world. He is a 2-time recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Grant for Outstanding Figurative Art, a Prince of Wales Fellow, and a Maryland State Arts Council Grant awardee. He is also a life-long teacher, having taught at Maryland Institute College of Art, George Washington University, George Mason University, and others.