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‘Warrior for Light’: Artist Thomas Kinkade Dies in California at Age 54

Artist Thomas Kinkade Dies in California at Age 54

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Artist Thomas Kinkade, whose brushwork paintings of idyllic landscapes, cottages and churches have been big sellers for dealers across the United States, died Friday, a family spokesman said.

Kinkade, 54, died at his home in Los Gatos in the San Francisco Bay Area of what appeared to be natural causes, David Satterfield said.

Kinkade’s sentimental paintings, with their scenes of country gardens and churches in dewy morning light, were beloved by middlebrow America but reviled by the art establishment. He claimed to be the nation’s most collected living artist, and his paintings and spin-off products were said to fetch some $100 million a year in sales, and to be in 10 million homes in the United States.

 

Artist Thomas Kinkade Dies in California at Age 54

His paintings generally depict tranquil scenes with lush landscaping and streams running nearby. Many contain images from Bible passages.

“I’m a warrior for light,” Kinkade, a self-described devout Christian, told the San Jose Mercury News in 2002, in reference to the medieval practice of using light to symbolize the divine. “With whatever talent and resources I have, I’m trying to bring light to penetrate the darkness many people feel.”

Before Kinkade’s Media Arts Group went private in the middle of the past decade, the company took in $32 million per quarter from 4,500 dealers across the country 10 years ago, according to the Mercury News. The cost of his paintings range from hundreds of dollars to more than $10,000.

A biography on his website states that Kinkade rejected “the intellectual isolation of the artist” and instead, made “each of his works an intimate statement that resonates in the personal lives of his viewers.”

“I share something in common with Norman Rockwell and, for that matter, with Walt Disney,” he said. “In that I really like to make people happy.”

Artist Thomas Kinkade Dies in California at Age 54

Kinkade was born and raised in the Placerville, Calif. He studied at the University of California at Berkeley and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

“Thom provided a wonderful life for his family,” his wife, Nanette, said in a statement. “We are shocked and saddened by his death.”

Comments (186)

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  • TiredofSittingontheCouch
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 7:17am

    He was the Norman Rockwell for our generation. My Kinkade paintings holds a special meaning for me during certain times in my life. His paintings had a message. He’s Home now and no doubt painting some wonderful scenes!

    Report Post »  
    • Todd P
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:08am

      You are so right. Every time I’ve seen his work, I thought the same thing. He was so young, and so inspirational. We will miss him.

      Report Post »  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:16am

      I was so fortunate to meet him many years ago. He was a fine man, So sad to hear of his pasiing.

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • SageInWaiting
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 9:37am

      Painting wonderful scenes???? He‘s seeing things that HE couldn’t imagine; colors so vibrant that his palate can’t duplicate them. Oh, he may again… I think right now, he’s exploring, reuniting with family and friends that passed before, and gazing in awe with his artist’s eye at what he is seeing. It is SO much easier to accept the loss of a believer; I felt grief/pity when Christopher Hitchens died. Decisions we make, the words we speak, and actions we take during life have unexpected, eternal consequences. During this Easter/Passover weekend, take a moment to reflect on your challenges and blessings and how you have responded to each and how you are currently relating to The Creator. Ya, some may scoff at this comment. If _I_ am wrong, what do I lose in the end; if I’m RIGHT, what do YOU lose?

      Report Post » SageInWaiting  
    • AmazingGrace8
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:16am

      Amen! God has plans for Thomas! Our talents here on earth….when my mom was alive she made the world a more beautiful place with her large rose/flower gardens and people would stop & take pictures of the beauty. My x-husband made a sign for my mom & it said: “Old Gardeners Never Die..They Just Lose Their Bloomers”(LOL). Looking forward to seeing my mom again.

      Report Post »  
    • techengineer11
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:19am

      I certainly appreciate this man’s work; however, I heard that he was embroiled in controversy over the past 5-10 years. I don‘t know much about it but I’ve heard his name placed in a negative light a time or two… Also natural causes at age 54? What’s that suppose to mean? People don’t typically die from natural causes at the age of 54.

      Report Post » techengineer11  
    • Patrick Henry II
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:26am

      beloved by middlebrow America but reviled by the art establish

      What the hell is a middlebrow American? Is that like Eddy Munster? Hillbilly? What?

      Report Post » Patrick Henry II  
    • CatB
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:40am

      @PATRICK

      Not what the “art establishment” tells us we SHOULD like.

      Have you ever seen some of the cr*p they SAY is art?

      I will take it as a compliment .. people who appreciate REAL talent :-)

      Report Post »  
    • Pontiac
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 2:57pm

      ಠ_ಠ
      He was a painter… Not an artist…
      There was nothing remotely stunning or significant about his paintings. Take away the pastel colors, look at them as black and whites, and there is absolutely nothing meaningful there. And please don’t compare him to Norman Rockwell. That’s like comparing Bob Ross to Rembrandt.

      Report Post » Pontiac  
    • GENE BLISTER
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 3:03pm

      Geniuses like Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish, and yes even Chuck Jones, are always marginalized and dismissed by the elitists of their day (neither Rockwell nor Parrish were considered artists, they were “just illustrators”). Yet their chocolate boxes, calendars, magazine covers and animated cartoons define and vividly preserve generations’ experiences and memories.

      Kinkade hangs in countless homes and offices across the country and around the world, stirring emotions, evoking calmer places and kinder days. Let the elitists cluster in their exclusive conclaves sipping white wine and trivializing anything that doesn’t fit their chic-of-the-moment self-importance. What they think is irrelevant, and like any adolescent, that makes them livid.

      Rest well Thomas. I envy the glorious landscapes you’ll be painting en plein air through eternity!

      Report Post » GENE BLISTER  
    • West Coast Patriot
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 3:47pm

      Baddoggy, My wife and I met him also and he touched up our painting and signed the back of it. This painting will stay in our family forever. My condolances go out to his family and all of his fans.

      Report Post » West Coast Patriot  
    • RJJinGadsden
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:45pm

      GENE BLISTER, Loved the artwork that Chuck Jones did for Leon Redbone.

      Report Post » RJJinGadsden  
    • Gatekeeper
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 11:50pm

      Pontiac….. you must be a bitter old man like the one in your avatar. Kinkade’s work is amazing and you know it.

      Report Post » Gatekeeper  
    • GENE BLISTER
      Posted on April 8, 2012 at 12:21am

      @RJJINGADSDEN
      One Froggy Evening. Perfect for Redbone!
      Hello my baby, hello my honey, hello my ragtime gal….rrrrrrrrpp.

      Report Post » GENE BLISTER  
    • Pontiac
      Posted on April 8, 2012 at 12:45am

      Yes Gatekeeper, it is amazing… Amazingly bland.

      Report Post » Pontiac  
    • menticide
      Posted on April 8, 2012 at 3:07pm

      Tech, he was accused of unethical business practices, and was even under investigation by the FBI. He was also known for some very oddball antics in public, such as publicly urinating on a Winnie the Pooh doll at a Disney hotel, most of these antics could be called alcohol fueled. He was also accused of groping a woman in Indiana. I don’t like speaking ill of the dead, but if you look around you can find most of this information very easily.

      Pontiac, I do agree with you a bit, the paintings are fine, but they never really had much of an emotional impact on me. I think he was popular because his paintings were simple scenes, nothing challenging, or offensive, and I believe he marketed himself as a Christian artist which helped to sell his work to religious people.

      Report Post » menticide  
    • grudgywoof
      Posted on April 9, 2012 at 6:49am

      God rest his soul. His paintings made me feel at peace and that’s something that Norman Rockwells work did for me as well. I think he was thinking of how heaven might be in many of his paintings and I really don’t care what the “art world” has to say about him, I’ll just say his works were inspiring to this simple man.

      Report Post » grudgywoof  
    • grannyrecipe
      Posted on April 9, 2012 at 7:52am

      I get wizzed off when I hear elite art people say that Kinkade didn’t measure up to real art. Well, if it’s all about conveying something deep and important or a message Kinkade still wins. Explain to me what the hell is a painting of some bizarre woman with her boobs going one way and her face, with both eyes on the same side of her head, going the other way means! Are you familiar with a term called “reaching”?

      Report Post » grannyrecipe  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 7:14am

    My father has Alzheimer’s and doing jigsaw puzzles helps him keep his mind working. I‘ve gotten him a lot of this man’s work in the form of puzzles. I think they are beautiful.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • RJJinGadsden
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 7:42am

      GONZO, So sorry to read that about your father. May those puzzles continue to help. I’ve read the well wishes for Kinkade and his family, along with those who have appreciated his art, and those who complained. I guess that I see it as one man‘s meat is another man’s poison. Simply put, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I am in no way an art critic but I find his work to be very pleasant to the eye which is what I would prefer much like the works of Rockwell. It strikes me much the way the way the Golden Ratio catches the eye in architectural works. God bless you Mr Kinkade.

      Report Post » RJJinGadsden  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 7:52am

      Thanks R.J.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
    • Todd P
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:07am

      Hey GONZO, my mom has Alzheimer’s too – I didn’t know they made Kinkade jigsaw puzzles, but I will get her one. Maybe it will help her too – she’s 83. Thanks for the idea!!!

      Report Post »  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:37am

      Hey Todd, there are a lot of them at Hallmark stores, maybe other places as well.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
    • christelle
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 9:16am

      Walmart carries them too

      Report Post »  
    • Jenny Lind
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 9:33am

      Gonzo, God bless you and your Dad-caring for parents is hard, but the blessings are huge, I know from caring for both of mine. You have helped many today from your posting, that is what makes this blog so special.

      Report Post »  
    • RJJinGadsden
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:00am

      GONZO, I should have mentioned God bless you and your dad as well. By all means enjoy the blessings you have with him each day. My Father passed away in ‘91 followed by my Mom in ’96. Still wish they were here today because I could certainly use their wisdom and guidance in today’s world. And Gonzo, let’s all pray that 0bamcare never fully kicks in to cut off medical care for those they no longer see as a productive member of society. You know, that left tolerance thing!

      Report Post » RJJinGadsden  
    • AmazingGrace8
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:03am

      Bless you Gonzo & you give true meaning to “Honor Thy Mother & Father”.

      Report Post »  
    • HorseCrazy
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:54am

      @gonzo, I do the same for my parents every year they love the puzzles. try amazon a little cheaper than hallmark. also when I cared for my grandmother during her alz. battle, I put cold pressed coconut oil in her cream of wheat every morning. get it at the hippie store. it truly gave her 5 extra years and the ability to stay out of the full care facility and in home with us for quite some time. Godbless http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/LJO190v1_WS
      that is a link to a study about the use of coconut oil in alz

      Report Post »  
    • JustPeachy
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 12:11pm

      My mother has dimentia. Maybe I can try sending her a puzzle. My sister or her family can help her with it. . . Nice idea, Gonzo. :)

      Report Post » JustPeachy  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 12:14pm

      I don’t deserve any credit here. My Mom takes care of him and they come over every week, but she’s the one that deserves the accolades. I don’t know how she does it.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
    • HYPNOTOAD
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 2:48pm

      To GONZO: I’m sorry to hear about your dad my friend. There is an old cancer drug that reverses Alzheimer’s in hours. Of course even though the drug is approved for humans and used for decades, the FDA wants to do trials and hold it up. You might be able to get your dads doctor to perscribe it anyway. Please google it. Take care.

      Report Post » HYPNOTOAD  
  • KangarooJack
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 7:11am

    I remember the 1st time I saw one of his paintings. My eyes widened, I breathed aloud…“Beautiful”. His work brought (and continues to bring) Joy, Peace and comfort to many. God Bless.

    I’m rather surprised at the negative comments.

    Report Post » KangarooJack  
    • Dde13
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:25am

      I agree JACK…my prayers to his family. As for the negativity, those who can’t, criticize..

      Report Post »  
    • rambosharley
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 11:39am

      His work did bring out an overwhelming sense of calm and comfort, sort of “back to the basics” way of life. We could all use some of that now. God rest your soul Mr. Kincaid.

      Report Post »  
    • Look4DBigPicture
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 11:45am

      I feel the same way every time I look at his paintings, Kangaroojack. They are magnificent.

      Only the good die young … he will be missed. May he rest in peace and be surrounded by the beautiful sceneries he imagined while alive.

      Report Post »  
  • kcares
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 7:01am

    I can’t understand why, when a person dies, some people have to tear them down and what they did.
    I was in a bad space, and had a daily calender of his, and it helped me remember that there is good in the world. Have respect. I beleive people that are so low as to say his work isn’t the greatest are jealous. It doesn’t matter, he wanted people to have a moment of peace in their day when they looked at his work. It seems like we are becoming less of a Christian nation every day, and that is so sad. I suggest everyone read “Poland” by James Mitchner to see what it is like to live under communism. God Bless his family.

    Report Post » kcares  
    • imsteph
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 9:28am

      very nicely said KCARES…
      while i wasn’t a huge fan of his…his talent was undeniable.
      i know he brought a lot of pleasure and ‘light’ into millions of peoples lives…and isn’t that the real measure of an artist?

      Blessings on him and his family.

      Report Post » imsteph  
  • suzy000
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 7:00am

    Art is suppose to “touch” you which is different for every human being. Kinkade’s art touched millions which leads to believe that the rest of the “snob” art world was just outright jealous. Yes..he did make a lot of money but if his paintings were ugly…he wouldn’t have made a cent. This man was talented and Americans loved his work. Eat your heart out, Art World…he was a success! Thoughts and prayers to the family for their loss.

    Report Post »  
  • KingCanon
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 6:56am

    It’s a DARK DAY for the Christian Movement…
    however God knows best!

    Report Post » KingCanon  
    • kickagrandma
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:21am

      Indeed to both comment of yours. Seems to me that GOD is gathering HIS team for a HEAVENLY REUNION. What do you think?

      HAPPY EASTER SEASON.

      Report Post »  
  • NewLife56
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 6:55am

    The mansion you’re getting will be more magnificent than any of your paintings Thomas. Welcome to your new home. Praise God.

    Report Post » NewLife56  
  • free men shall stand
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 6:52am

    A genuine loss for all of us “middle browers”- we have been warned that a time will come( indeed, is here) when good will be called evil and evil will be called good. For the crtiic who found his work “crap for the masses”- you would prefer a urine soaked Obama flag perhaps?

    Report Post »  
    • kickagrandma
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:24am

      Proud to be a “middle-brower“ along with all the other condescending names ”they“ call ”us”. I stand with you!

      Report Post »  
    • Jenny Lind
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 9:29am

      Me too, I love the peace I feel looking at his art. He wasn’t looking at having stuff in museums, he wanted it to be pieces of light in our homes. He is now living in the light-and has been welcomed home as a good and faithfull servant of the Master artist.

      Report Post »  
    • rambosharley
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 11:43am

      @FREE

      “a urine soaked obama flag” Priceless! lol

      What would the far left art SNOBS say about that..hahahaha!

      Report Post »  
  • NEOBIO
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 6:42am

    I’m sorry to hear this and my prayer goes out to the family. I have some of his art work and I enjoy it as much as first day that I brought it .His life may be gone, but his spirit of art is still with US.

    Report Post »  
  • 19Agroundpounder
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 5:59am

    Hello Richard heads- A guy who paints a picture with religious connotations is hacked by the “wrong” and the “left”? Crap.

    Report Post »  
  • Floyd ALsbach
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 5:53am

    He was a gifted hustler much like the YBA’s just with a different style to hustle. Candy color, moderate drawing, moderate design, stage lightning, and loaded with sentimentality. But that was his gig, and he did that better than anyone else. I hate his work and envy his business talent.

    Report Post » Floyd ALsbach  
    • hidden_lion
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:15am

      Proof is in the pudding. $100 million a year in sales. Apparently his use of “candy” colors and lighting made a lot of people smile and they bought his work. Better than an art snob selling one or two freak “modern” paintings that the vast majority of children could paint.

      Report Post » hidden_lion  
    • kickagrandma
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:20am

      You know don’t you, that envy is a terminal sickness?

      How about asking the GOD of us all to let you see HIS blessings for you in this man’s work? You might be delighted and even happy….

      Sunday’s a-comin’!

      Report Post »  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:21am

      Yeo…Its pretty clear you are full of hate and envy.

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • grimmy
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:22am

      @floyd alsbach aka encino.
      Once again you spout your drug induced stupidity,can not media matters supply you better material? F-n moron…

      Drago.

      Report Post »  
    • christelle
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 9:20am

      He was a Christian who felt called by God to paint. The only thing Thomas Kincaide “hustled” was spiritual food….and hey if I am starving…you can “hustle” a steak my way any day

      Report Post »  
    • beckwill
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 1:43pm

      crass or tactless? Not sure which fits your comment best.

      Report Post »  
    • West Coast Patriot
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 3:59pm

      Floyd, It must make your parents proud to have raised such an inhumane person. I bet they take trips to Europe during holidays so they have an excuse to not invite you over.

      Report Post » West Coast Patriot  
  • Greyowl
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 5:08am

    Sad to hear this news this morning. I loved his work and have always desired to own an original. My prayers for his family during this time.

    Report Post »  
  • SageInWaiting
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 4:58am

    “Middlebrow America” – so THAT’S what I am. Kinkade, Jim Hansel (http://www.jimhanselart.com/Products/270-complete-serenity.aspx), and a few others, use(d) light to draw us into tranquil scenes and landscapes; places of our youth or idealistic refuges – a culture we came from but have lost; escapes from a world gone mad. The images tell a story. The use of light and shadow draw the eye and provide mental stimulation as well as a sense of peace – for a brief moment we enter the artist’s world: ride in the sleigh; overlook the distant valley; walk along the stream; listen to a crashing waves; drop a line into a lake; and at the same time, marvel at a rendering of the glory of God’s creation. Ya, the “art world” can scoff – to me, they are part of the “elite” that are destroying this world. They tend to live in the metropolises we deplore and flee from; they loath the fly-over sportsmen who cling to their Bibles and guns. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this man had a gift. He will be missed by many. In a world of multimedia and digital gaming, “art” is a dying craft; the snobs should embrace ANYONE who finds a niche and brings beauty to the walls of homes in this country. God bless his family and comfort them.

    Report Post » SageInWaiting  
  • lukerw
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 4:02am

    My Opinion: Crap for the Masses!

    Report Post » lukerw  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 4:27am

      I was an art major at one time and I agree 100%. Kincaid’s work was considered “decorative” at best.

      Report Post »  
    • JQCitizen
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 4:35am

      As an artist, I can tell you that the “Art World”, (and many of them truly live in their “own world”), is filled with self-agrandizing snobs. Who made THEM determinate as to the defiinition of Art? Art, after all, is just visual communication. No two people speak the same language, in the exact same way, dialect, voice inflection, etc.; neither do all artists speak the same language; Yet each one’s language communicates SOMETHING, to SOMEONE. If that someone values that message enough, and has SOMETHING OF VALUE to exchange for that message, Voila!; you have Art with value.

      Most of the “selectivity” as to what is called Art is very money oriented no matter how the money is appropriated, anyway. Artists have, and always will be dependent on SOMEONE valuing their work; whether it be a patrician or king during the rennaisance, or a purveyor of a product, as with commercial art, or private collectors, art juries, or a director of grants in some college or governmental institution.

      After all, you can’t eat art. It has no intrinsic value as would a crust of bread in a prison yard of starving inmates. What one inmate would recognise for it’s artistic value, another would burn to keep warm. All judgement as to artistic value is subjective.

      By that definition,Thomas Kincaide WAS a VERY EFFECTIVE artist; – Nevermind the Art Snobs!!!

      Report Post »  
    • rosie1000
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 5:44am

      more like you are crap for yourself

      Report Post »  
    • hillbillyinny
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 7:17am

      Well @lukerw, I finally agree with you on something, your opinion IS crap!

      Goodness is as goodness does. One person’s artwork is scribbling, anothers is a pathway to God!

      Mr. Kincaide you will be missed here, but I’m sure your are overwhelmed seeing your Lord face-to-face. God bless you family!

      Report Post »  
    • ireport uderide
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 9:37am

      Sorry lukedouche, your reference of “Crap for the Masses” isn’t Kinkades work. What you probably meant to reference was the acclaimed “Crap for the Masses”,
      “Dung-Covered Madonna”, by the British artist, Chris Ofili.

      That was a big hit with the hoity-toity left wing nut jobs at the Brooklyn Art Museum.

      Report Post » ireport uderide  
    • AmazingGrace8
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:26am

      Painting of a can of soup really doesn’t do a thing for me. LOL I would rather look at Thomas K paintings. “And that is a line opening for you….soup to nuts…I know how your mind works. Just kidding…Have a great day.

      Report Post »  
    • MidWestMom
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:42am

      If you don’t consider Kinkade’s work to be art a simple “It’s not something I like” is more than sufficient. By scornfully criticizing it and deriding those who do view it as art you are only showing how childish you are.

      Report Post »  
    • Clive
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 11:52am

      its awesome artwork, for a holiday inn.

      Report Post »  
    • lukerw
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 6:26pm

      An Opinion is a Freedom of Speech… neither Right nor Wrong… but it is interesting that Fascists desire everyone to Act & Think alike, rejecting Individualism, and replacing Uniqueness with the Common!

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • Pontiac
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 7:13pm

      @lukerw
      Right, has as much appeal to me as Beanie Babies…

      @Clive
      You just made me visualize a commercial with Kinkade. “I’m not an artist, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn”

      @AmazingGrace8
      [Painting of a can of soup really doesn’t do a thing for me. LOL I would rather look at Thomas K paintings.]
      I’d rather look at my empty wall than rubbish augmented only by a herd mentality, not talent.

      Kinkade was nothing more than Bob Ross with a different pallet. A one trick pony. It’s not creative, it’s not genius, it’s not valuable, it’s not even $5 dollars good. It’s group-think gone awry. He painted meaningless rubbish and you people scarf it down like a hipster swallows Andy Warhols crap.
      Desaturate his paintings and you’re left with the very same image that conveys no message or meaning what so ever. Only now it wouldn‘t sell on the account it’s not colorful enough to appeal to child’s mentality. Oh sure attack the critics, go ahead, but your cynicism is grossly misplaced.

      Report Post » Pontiac  
    • Balpit
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:11pm

      Since you consider Kinkade’s works to be garbage, I wonder what’s your opinion on the following:

      Piss Christ:
      The jar of urine with a crucifix inside.

      The Holy Virgin Mary:
      Mary depicted with elephant dung and pornographic images.

      Report Post »  
    • Pontiac
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 11:34pm

      @Balpit
      Attention whore garbage.
      What’s wrong with you?
      Did you really expect me to defend that rubbish?

      Report Post » Pontiac  
    • Balpit
      Posted on April 8, 2012 at 12:04pm

      Just curious of what your opinion is. I didn’ t expect you to think highly of them at all. To be honest, I’m glad you think the jar of piss and elephant dung are both crap (literally!).

      But, in response to your criticism of Kinkade’s works: beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

      You say if one desaturated the color from Kinkade’s works, it would lose its message and there would be nothing special.
      To be fair, any and all paintings would suffer if their colors were desaturated.

      Report Post »  
    • Pontiac
      Posted on April 8, 2012 at 3:14pm

      [beauty is in the eye of the beholder.]
      So? That just says some people have standards, others don’t.

      [it would lose its message and there would be nothing special.]
      No, I‘m saying it doesn’t have a message to start with. If all it can garner is “gee that sure is a purdy picture” then it’s nothing exceptional. Kinkades paintings were best suited for holiday cookie tins with bad tasting cookies, not much else.

      Report Post » Pontiac  
    • Balpit
      Posted on April 9, 2012 at 5:47pm

      “So? That just says some people have standards, others don’t.”
      Opinion is not fact. Some people think Piss Christ and The Holy Virgin Mary are masterpieces (I’m not sure how) and anyone who thinks otherwise is a moron.

      “No, I‘m saying it doesn’t have a message to start with. If all it can garner is “gee that sure is a purdy picture” then it’s nothing exceptional. Kinkades paintings were best suited for holiday cookie tins with bad tasting cookies, not much else.”
      No message? Artwork is how people express themselves: by painting, sculpting, or cooking. The messages in his paintings expressed his admiration of winter, Christmas, snow, cottages, and trees.

      “Take away the pastel colors, look at them as black and whites, and there is absolutely nothing meaningful there.”
      If you did that to ANY painting, you’d have nothing but blank canvases.

      Report Post »  
    • Pontiac
      Posted on April 9, 2012 at 6:56pm

      @Balpit
      [Opinion is not fact. ]
      OMG, stop the presses.

      [If you did that to ANY painting, you’d have nothing but blank canvases.]
      Apparently you don’t know what a pastel color is. I was not saying take away the frig’n colors. Would you stop being an ignoramus? You’re pulling quotes from another post way up the page and repeating your same arguments you already made but more vainly than before.

      [messages in his paintings expressed his admiration of winter, Christmas, snow, cottages, and trees.]
      I couldn’t give a rats butt about his admiration of. I don’t find blotchy landscapes with toyish looking buildings and unnatural lighting the least bit interesting let alone conveying a “message”. If you don’t like my opinion that his paintings are callow, tough. I prefer work that has far more thought, skill, and effort put into them. His work wasn’t good enough to be anything more than inane decorations.

      Report Post » Pontiac  
  • Randyrocker
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 3:59am

    Brilliant artist who lived in a wonder world of love and splendor, with a deep inspiration and affection for nature and its inhabitants. Too young to go, as he was hitting the prime of his artistic powers. He will be missed by all those who revere the arts and those rare gifted individuals who share their insights and genius with the rest of us in this not too kind world. May he sleep with the Heavenly world he intended for us to all see in his works of art. God Bless Thomas Kinkade for leaving a bit of Heaven behind in his passing.

    Report Post »  
    • kickagrandma
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:27am

      Yes, Randy. Thank you for your comments.

      HAPPY EASTER! Can you even imagine the light we are going to see one of these days when JESUS steps out to call us HOME???

      Report Post »  
  • raydg
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 3:33am

    His works was great in that it showed life being good as long as you are with the LORD. He will be missed. Godspeed Thomas Kindaide.

    Report Post »  
  • Tandem2011
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 3:30am

    I always saw Kinkade‘s art as overrated kitsch and didn’t like it. He sold his stuff like hotcakes and Teddy bears while better artists went unrecognized. It was all about commerce and a shallow sentimentality but he nonetheless deserves our respect for pursuing his own American dream.

    Report Post » Tandem2011  
    • edmundburk
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 3:36am

      I too found his paintings just a tad cloying, but god rest his soul. he brought joy to millions of people, unlike the current occupant of the white house.

      Report Post » edmundburk  
    • JQCitizen
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 4:38am

      Wah, Wah! All Art is about money, and commerce! Artists have to eat too; I just think too many of them are eating on our dime! And I AM ONE!!!

      Report Post »  
    • JQCitizen
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 4:53am

      By the way, I meant to say that I am an artist, not an artist “on the public dole”.

      I’ll take 10 Thomas Kincaides, who recognise that they need to communicate something to a large enough audience to be deserving of their “income’, for every self-indulgent, introspective “taker” who lives on NEA-connected grants.

      Those who must live on government-sponsored grants are simply croney capitalists in my opinion; no better than GE, coseying up to whomever they must to force the public at-large, (many of whom cannot afford their “Art”), to give them a living.

      Report Post »  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:25am

      I admire anyone who can CREATE anything to sell for a profit that brings joy to ithers. You are bitter because you dont have a sellable talent.

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • CatB
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 11:05am

      @JQ

      Amen to everything you said!

      Report Post »  
    • Komponist-ZAH
      Posted on April 8, 2012 at 2:32am

      Yes, how DARE he try to make a living using his talents…

      And maybe those “better” artists who went unrecognized could have learned a thing or two from his salesmanship. Commerce is not something that would somehow soil the purity of the Muses.

      Report Post »  
  • wbaranowski
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 2:50am

    Remarkable work. Seem to remember some problems posted a year, or, so ago. R.I.P. I don’t care what critics may say, or, what “problems” developed. I loved your stuff.

    Report Post »  
  • COFemale
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 2:15am

    God rest his soul. I remember a Lifetime movie or maybe it was on Hallmark that focused on “The Cottage” painting. I loved his paintings.

    Report Post » COFemale  
  • Sleeve
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 2:15am

    condolence to his family no doubt, but his work was tired and contrived and safe… he sold out and made a mint! ROTFL if you think your “signed lithos” are worth much more then the paper they are printed on…

    Report Post » Sleeve  
    • Free2speakRN
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 4:15am

      “condolence to his family no doubt, but his work was tired and contrived and safe… he sold out and made a mint! ROTFL if you think your “signed lithos” are worth much more then the paper they are printed on…”

      Lighten up, Man. I’m sure your “condolence to his family” were warmly recieved.

      Everything doesn’t need to be on the edge, with an artistic cutting off of an ear and suicide.

      Maybe he was, you know, uh…happy.

      I‘ve battled with this artistic thing you’re talking about. It’s meaningless. Help people, find satisfaction in your labor, and happiness in your family. Then…you die. At that point, you’re out of the picture. If you did something to give people hope and happiness, for a short while you will be remembered. Both the good and bad will ripple through a bit of time. Remember this while you are still young, if you are doing something good, ‘Helping somebody brings you rest’. You can live knowing that.

      Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:36am

      @SLEEVE

      I only mentioned that they were the signed because that is how you get the “luminestent lithography” a process that Thomas helped create and not just “prints” that he made (believe me it makes a difference in how the light effect is in them) fans of his work will understand this. I did not buy them to sell .. I bought them because I like them .. and wanted good art in my home … I have been collecting for well over 20 years .. and you would be surprised at how little I paid for them .. compared to signed anything from someone else.

      Keep holding on to those beanie babies .. I’m sure they will come back in value … someday.

      CATB

      Report Post »  
  • JACKTHETOAD
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 2:14am

    I’ve heard of him, but until now I never saw any of his work. I like the three paintings shown above, and I’m going to make it a point to see more of his work. Nice landscapes and use of colors, imho. What a shame. 54 is too young for anyone to die.

    Report Post » JACKTHETOAD  
    • CatB
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 2:22am

      They are amazing … when you bring down the lights .. the windows and streetlamps seem to glow .. you won’t be disappointed .. he has some wonderful series of Paris and other cities … and patriotic works .. I guess this makes me “middlebrow America”

      Report Post »  
    • JACKTHETOAD
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 2:45am

      There‘s nothing wrong with being ’middlebrow America’, CAT. I‘m sorry I didn’t go see Chuck Jones (the gifted animator/artist/writer from Warner Bros.) when he had an exhibition in NYC several years ago. He’s gone now, and I consider his work, and the rest of the boys from ‘Termite Terrace’. works of art too. I guess that makes me a part of ‘lowbrow America’, but art is where you find it. :)

      Report Post » JACKTHETOAD  
    • JACKTHETOAD
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 3:13am

      Either way, it‘s better than being a part of ’unibrow America’. If I went there, I’d bring tweezers, a razor and Nair. I’d have to help those people.

      Report Post » JACKTHETOAD  
    • CatB
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 3:41am

      Hi Jack .. no I don’t mind in the least that I like something that the “critics” don’t … I would be worried about my taste if I did .. yes I know who Chuck Jones was .. my brother has done special effects and animation and model building, too bad he has the talent but never the “drive” to make it big .. he was given the opportunity..(when Gene Roddenberry tells you come see me when you get to L.A. you DO! of course that is way to late now also) .. art was always around including what you were talking about the kind Jones and others did. The thing with art is that it is in the eye of the beholder and you should not worry about what others might think about it … appreciate what you like. Everyone seems to be a critic nowadays .. or a troll ;-)

      Report Post »  
  • LaBelle
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 2:01am

    So sad, he was a wonderful artist. I’ve been to many of his galleries and always wished I could afford one of his paintings. I always had to be satisfied with a book of post cards.

    Report Post » LaBelle  
    • Taquoshi
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 9:25am

      There are several books of his that were published. A friend gave me three of them for Christmas a few years ago. Since she’s struggling to make ends meet, I know she got them at a book sale. Check your local library sales or Amazon.

      Report Post » Taquoshi  
  • CatB
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 1:45am

    I am so sorry .. my condolences to the family .. I have watched the movie about his life, been a fan for years and years. I have some signed lithographs of his paitings in my home … he was truly one of my favorite artists and died way too soon. To Nanette and the grils .. again my deepest sympathies.

    Report Post »  
  • whatthecrazy
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 1:39am

    What a shame,the good really do die young………….

    Report Post »  
  • kaydeebeau
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 1:37am

    So sad, prayers to the family …

    On a less serious note, Breitbart, Whitney, now Kindaide and who knows how many countless others – all dying in California. Perhaps we need to ban California…leftists get right on that. Apparently California is a health hazard

    Report Post » kaydeebeau  
    • kickagrandma
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:31am

      Noted: “Maybe California is a health hazard.” INDEED!!!

      HAPPY EASTER TO YOU!

      Report Post »  
    • ireport uderide
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 9:52am

      KICKA… INDEED?
      I almost fell out of my chair laughing at that one.
      HAPPY HAPPY EASTER, INDEED!

      Report Post » ireport uderide  
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