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Painter Thomas Kinkade dies suddenly in Los Gatos at age 54

Painter Thomas Kinkade, the “Painter of Light” and one of the most popular painters in America died suddenly at his Los Gatos home on Friday. He was 54. His paintings are estimated to be hanging in one of every 20 homes in America. In a statement, his family said that the death appeared to be from natural causes. Authorities are not expected to have the official cause of death for several days. The police referred comment to the coroner, who was not available late Friday. Kinkade’s friends and family began to plan a private service and were considering a public celebration at a later date.

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

His family was traveling to Australia on Friday and was unavailable for further comment.

I am not a fan of Thomas Kinkade’s painting style, and I knew very little about his life. I have always marveled at his easily recognizable use of light, and how that use created a “brand” for him that is somewhat unusual in art. From what I have learned today, Kinkade appears to have been a complex man.

According to the L.A. Times, Kinkade:

“… grew up in a trailer in the Northern California city of Placerville, which he often rendered in his art as an idyllic community of friendly citizens. After hitting upon the formula for inspirational landscapes and village scenes, he and his wife put their modest savings into publishing the first reproductions of his paintings in 1984. They sold 1,000 copies for $35 each and never looked back.”

MercuryNews.com said:

“The Placerville native, who also leaves behind a brother and sister, was known to dress up like Santa Claus on Christmas, ride a Harley-Davidson and go on painting trips around the world. He would visit studio executives but also got to know all the homeless people in Los Gatos. He read classic books but also enjoyed shooting and blowing up things on his ranch.

The father of four girls and a devoted Christian, his artistic philosophy was not to express himself through his paintings like many artists, but rather to give the masses what they wanted: warm, positive images, said Ken Raasch, a longtime friend who co-founded Kinkade’s company with him.”

Kinkade’s official biography states that, in the 25 years since he graduated from UC Berkeley, he has printed 1,000 paintings of “… “cabin and nature scenes, beautiful gardens, classic cottages, sports, inspirational content, lighthouses and powerful seascapes, impressionists, and classic Americana.”

“I’m a warrior for light,” Kinkade told the Mercury News in 2002, alluding not just to his technical skill at creating light on canvas but 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.”

Ten years ago, Kinkade’s Media Arts Group company achieved great success, taking in $32 million per quarter from 4,500 dealers across the country. The company went private in the middle of the last decade. Kinkade’s paintings ranged from hundreds of dollars to more than $10,000 dollars. He became a speaker and author of books, some of which reached the New York Times Best Seller list. Kinkade’s top sellers include, “Masterworks of Light,” and “The Artist’s Guide to Sketching.” He was also involved in a charity foundation. Kinkade contributed and helped raise millions of dollars that went to nonprofit agencies such as the Salvation Army and museums.

In 2010, however, the manufacturing arm of his company, Pacific Metro in Morgan Hill, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. “Months later, Kinkade was reportedly arrested on suspicion of DUI. In 2009, the Los Angeles Times reported the FBI was investigating whether he fraudulently induced investors and then ruined them financially.”

In 2007, Thomas Kinkade told “60 Minutes” that:

“Art is forever,” Kinkade told “60 Minutes” in 2007. “It goes front and center on your wall, where everyday the rest of your life you see that image. And it is shaping your children, it’s shaping your life.”

It is very hard to argue with that.

-Bill at

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