Thomas Kinkade

Art Appreciation

A couple of months ago, while having dinner at my in-laws, we were discussing my personal preference in art. During our conversation, my mother-in-law mentioned Thomas Kinkade to which my response was that I didn't care for his art. As I said it, I turned behind me and saw that my mother-in-law had a Thomas Kinkade curtain hanging on the wall.

I attempted to explain why he wasn't one of my preferred artists, "many of his artwork look alike. It's either of cottages, bridges, or landscapes."

When I was young, I remember walking into a Thomas Kinkade gallery in San Antonio. The store was crowded with people who found his paintings spiritual because of his use of light. In reality, the technique Thomas Kinkade used was not something spiritual but rather known as chiaroscuro, where the artist uses strong contrast colors.

Nonetheless, the "Painter of Light," did contribute to art in how to mass market printed reproductions. It's estimated that 1 in every 20 American homes has a copy of his paintings.

The Christian artist was born on January 19, 1958 in Sacramento, California. Kinkade died of natural causes; although, autopsy found a combination of alcohol and Valium in his system.

You can see more of his work HERE.

Christmas Moonlight via christmasvillagefun

Cobblestone Christmas via christmasvillagefun

Autumn on Mackinac Island via keepersathome

Sources: http://www.thomaskinkade.com; http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2010/11/thomas-kinkade-effect.html; http://christmasvillagefun.blogspot.com/2012/03/thomas-kinkade-and-easter-art.html; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/12/thomas-kinkades-troubled-past_n_1421117.html; http://keepersathome.blogspot.com/