![]() ![]() As millions of collectors around the world sit back and enjoy his artwork in their homes, there is no doubt that Thomas Kinkade had indeed achieved his goal of Sharing the Light™. Thom’s dearest wish had always been that his artwork would be a messenger of hope and inspiration to others – a message to slow down, appreciate the little details in life, and to look for beauty in the world around us. His goal as an artist, who was Christian, was to touch people of all faiths, to bring peace and joy into their lives through the images he had created. From textiles, to collectibles, to music and books, Thom gave credit to a higher power for both the ability and the inspiration to create his paintings. Thomas Kinkade, the Painter of Light™, emphasized simple pleasures and inspirational messages through his art – and the branded products created from that art. This prolific artist was even more prolific than we had realized. ![]() ![]() ![]() It has been said that it was not unusual for Thom to paint under a variety of brush names. For a period of six years, He created 69 paintings under Robert Girrard. To give himself the freedom to create without judgment, he painted under the brush name of Robert Girrard. In the early 1980’s he was drawn, in particular, to the French Impressionist style of painting with broad brush strokes, broken color and a softer palette. While Thom was establishing his name and his work as a Romantic Realist, he continued to experiment in a variety of painting styles. Thom’s four daughters were also included in his artistic process- after the birth of each of his daughters, Thom painted adoring images in each of their namesake Evening at Merritt’s Cottage, Chandler’s Cottage, Winsor Manor and Everett’s Cottage. Numerous paintings contain hidden “N’s” representing Thom’s love for his wife Nanette and many other paintings include the numbers 5282 as tribute to their wedding date May 2, 1982. It was this devotion for his family that inspired him to add symbols of his love to his artwork. Thomas Kinkade the artist was also a devout and loving family man. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, the White House, The Vatican, and Britain’s Tate Museum, Thom raised millions of dollars over his lifetime for charity, including over two million dollars for 911 relief efforts. From custom images that were sold for The Salvation Army, Hurricane Katrina relief, Rotary International, to donations that now grace the halls of St. Though the recipient of countless awards and honors, it was Thom’s profound sense of purpose that his art was not just an accessory, but also a ministry, that continues on as his legacy. Throughout his life Thomas Kinkade shared his joy and used his paints in support of hospitals, schools, and humanitarian relief. Thomas Kinkade graduated from El Dorado High School in 1976, studied at the University of California, Berkley and later, the Pasadena Art Center College of Design. This commission earned him the funds to publish that first painting of Dawson, a gold mining town in Alaska. This success led the duo to a job with Ralph Bakshi Studios where they created background art for the animation film Fire and Ice. He went on to travel with fellow college artist James Gurney, with whom he published a very successful book, An Artist’s Guide to Sketching. A snippet of this relationship is featured in the movie Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Cottage. At a young age, Thom apprenticed with notable artist and teacher, Glenn Wessels. Early Yearsīorn William Thomas Kinkade on January 19, 1958, Kinkade was known as ‘the kid who draws’ around his hometown. It was this dedication and singular-minded focus on the ultimate goal of Sharing the Light™ that made Thomas Kinkade, a simple boy with a brush from the small country town of Placerville, California the most-collected living artist of his time. Though at the time he was already an acclaimed illustrator, Thom found that he was inspired not by fame and fortune, but by the simple act of painting straight from the heart, putting on canvas the natural wonders and images that moved him most. He always knew being an artist was his destiny and so it was with this confidence that he decided to spend his very first significant art paycheck on creating his first lithograph with his painting of Dawson. ![]()
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