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Thomas Kinkade (born 1958) is an United
States|American painter most widely known for his
mass-produced prints. He is marketed as the
"Painter of Light", a phrase he has trademarked.
His prints and paintings are distinguished by
their glowing, 'overblown', highlights and vibrant
pastel colors. Rendered in a faux impressionist
style cross-pollinated with American Scene
Painting values, his works often portray bucolic,
idyllic settings such as gardens, streams, stone
cottages and Main Streets. He has also depicted
various Christianity|Christian themes including
the Christian cross|Holy Cross and churches.

Kinkade claims to be placing emphasis on the value
of simple pleasures and that his intent is to
communicate inspirational, life-affirming messages
through his work. A self-described "devout
Christian", Kinkade has said he gains his
inspiration from his religious beliefs and that
his work is intended to contain a larger moral
dimension. 

Kinkade is reportedly America's most-collected
living
artist.http://www.thomaskinkade.com/magi/servlet/c
om.asucon.ebiz.biography.web.tk.BiographyServlet
Despite this he is often criticized for the extent
to which he has commercialism|commercialized his
art, for example selling his prints on the QVC
home shopping network. Others have complained that
his paintings, while pretty, are without
substance.

== Biography ==

Kinkade grew up in the small town of Placerville,
California, and obtained higher education at the
University of California at Berkeley and the Art
Center College of Design in Pasadena. In 1982, he
married his childhood sweetheart, Nanette.

He spent a summer on a sketching tour with a
college friend, producing a popular instructional
book, The Artist's Guide to Sketching. The success
of the book landed the two young artists at Ralph
Bakshi Studios creating background art for the
1983 animated feature film Fire and Ice (1983
film)|Fire and Ice. While working on the film,
Kinkade began to explore the depiction of light
and of imagined worlds. After the film, Kinkade
earned his living as a painter, selling his
originals in galleries throughout California.

His works are sold by mail order and in dedicated
retail outlets as high-quality prints, often using
texturizing techniques on real canvas to make the
surface of the finished prints mimic the raised
surface of the original painting. His images are
also used extensively on other merchandise such as
calendars and greetings cards.

==External links==

* http://www.thomaskinkade.com/ The Official
Thomas Kinkade Website

*http://www.grandcentralartcenter.com/gcacPages/Ar
tists/Kinkade/Kinkade.html  Grandcentral Art
Center — A page with links to essays and
reviews of Kincade's works.

*http://www.qvc.com/asp/frameset.asp?nest=%2Fasp%2
FIsItemNumberRedirect.asp&search=SQ&frames=y&refer
rer=QVC&txtDesc=Thomas+Kinkade&SearchClass=&Submit
4=Go/ Kincade on Q.V.C.— Kincade's works for
sale on the Q.V.C. network

==See Also==
List of painters