Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Thomas Kinkade - "Painter of Light" - Dies
AP ^ | 4/7/12 | John S. Marshall

Posted on 04/06/2012 10:33:54 PM PDT by boatbums

California artist Thomas Kinkade, whose brushwork paintings of idyllic landscapes, cottages and churches were big sellers for dealers across the country, 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 cottages, country gardens and churches in dewy morning light, were beloved by middlebrow America but reviled by the art establishment.

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

Kinkade, a self-described devout Christian, claimed to be the nation's most collected living artist. 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.

"I'm a warrior for light," he told the San Jose Mercury News in 2002, in reference to his technical skills but also 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."

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: davidsatterfield; etoh; kinkade; painteroflight; thomaskinkade
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-76 next last
To: Nasher
Kinkade's sentimental paintings, with their scenes of cottages, country gardens and churches in dewy morning light, were beloved by middlebrow America but reviled by the art establishment...Many contain images from Bible passages.

Hated by the 'art establishment' because of his technique or because Thomas was a Christian? Which is it, ASSociated Press?

Prayers for his family. He was truly gifted. Always loved his Christmas themed paintings such as this:

His paintings were nice ... like a modern-day Currier and Ives.


41 posted on 04/07/2012 5:09:51 AM PDT by Alice in Wonderland
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: marygam

Heaven NEEDED a good “A”rtist???? I don’t think so. Heaven is the abode of the everlasting, eternal, self-sufficient, triune Creator and sustanier of the universe whose glory is far more than we can handle in these bodies. Heaven is filled to the brim with His Glory and does not need anything man to add anything to Who He is or What He has done. There is only one true “Artist”, and that is God Himself. Kincaid was just a sinner. We hope that he was saved by grace. If not, it is too late. If so, then now he knows what true “art” is. Jesus Christ is true beauty.


42 posted on 04/07/2012 5:29:26 AM PDT by lupie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: Nasher

Reviled why? Marketing, I imagine. Seems he made a few nice pictures, then marketed the **** out of them. Like Disney, persuaded customers to buy references to sentimental stories.


43 posted on 04/07/2012 5:42:16 AM PDT by ctdonath2 ($1 meals: http://abuckaplate.blogspot.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: boatbums

Kincade dies


44 posted on 04/07/2012 5:43:22 AM PDT by quintr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: boatbums

Prices are being marked up at garage sales all over the south. It’s schlock art best viewed while eating a “Happy Meal.” This fine art is best hung between the Billy-Bass and the Jackalope.


45 posted on 04/07/2012 5:44:19 AM PDT by Babba Gi
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Babba Gi

I disagree. They are sentimental, but they are good art. The sophisticates hate sentimentality. They also hate Christians. Ergo, their disdain. This is not “velvet Elvis.” This is more of a classic style that will survive the ages.

And why the gratuitous slap at the South? These paintings are equally popular in every part of the nation, Canada, and all over the world.

Have you ever been to a sidewalk art show in New York? Talk about shlock!


46 posted on 04/07/2012 5:54:07 AM PDT by WashingtonSource
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: boatbums

That’s so sad.
Rip, Mr. Kinkade.


47 posted on 04/07/2012 6:02:17 AM PDT by patriot08 (TEXAS GAL- born and bred and proud of it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HarleyD

There are always two sides to every story; and Christ is ultimately the judge we’ll all have to face.


48 posted on 04/07/2012 6:06:00 AM PDT by Twinkie (John 3:16)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: WashingtonSource
They are sentimental, but they are good art.

Respectfully, he couldn't hold a candle to Paul Landry or William S. Phillips. Two of my favorite paintings are Landry's "It's A Wonderful Christmas" and Phillips' "Cape Neddick Dawn". See below:




49 posted on 04/07/2012 6:07:36 AM PDT by tanknetter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: GrandJediMasterYoda

“They forgot to mention that besides his beautiful paintings, Mr. Kinkade was also the manager of the Patridge family.”

Thanks - you made me squirt coffee out of my nose!


50 posted on 04/07/2012 6:13:20 AM PDT by mkleesma (`Call to me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Babba Gi

Thus said Fraiser Crane, while Niles leans against a wall gasping for breath! Yes I agree. I always hated that it was required that I love his work. Every christian family had one. “if Kincaid is good enough for Jesus, he is good enough for me!”


51 posted on 04/07/2012 6:32:57 AM PDT by DariusBane (People are like sheep and have two speeds: grazing and stampede)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: marygam
Ditto. I always thought of Kinkade as a talented illustrator. Norman Rockwell is a good comparison. The fact that he was reviled by the art establishment is a point in his favor. Kinkade's stuff is not my cup of tea -- a little too sentimental -- but it is at least pretty, which is better than a lot of what populates museums and exhibitions these days.

People collect poster art, some of which commands a pretty hefty premium. Nothing wrong with that. I suspect a lot of the hostility to Kinkade stems from the fact that he was so openly commercial, and made money.

52 posted on 04/07/2012 6:35:33 AM PDT by sphinx
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: boatbums
beloved by middlebrow America

I dunno. I like NASCAR, bluegrass music, grilling a big ol' T-bone over charcoal, and driving ATV's all round my mountain property.

But I have Lautrec and Magritte prints on my office and living room wall, and yeah, I'd be embarrassed to put a Kinkade up next to them.

It's almost like taste is a personal thing or sumpin....

53 posted on 04/07/2012 6:50:34 AM PDT by Notary Sojac (Mi tio esta enfermo, pero la carretera es verde!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WashingtonSource
I disagree. They are sentimental, but they are good art. The sophisticates hate sentimentality. They also hate Christians. Ergo, their disdain. This is not “velvet Elvis.” This is more of a classic style that will survive the ages.

You've already fallen into the trap: "It's not because I'm rude, disdainful, dishonest, lazy, less-than-competent, stupid, or unimaginative. You're not giving me the promotion/you don't like me/you hate me/you're rejecting my application/you're failing my job interview/you're giving me a bad grade on my test because I'm black/gay/Hispanic/fat/female/Rosicrucian/tattooed/old/young/male."

A large portion of the greatest Western art of the past 2000 years features Christian themes. The artistic merit of these works is not despised because of the subject matter. And they are not taken to be great art because of their subject matter.

The reason a lot of people who know art dislike most of Kinkade's work of the past 30 years is not because he's Christian but because, technically, it's crap. He's found one trait (the light) that's necessary among many, many others for a painting to be good and has used it as a substitute for everything else. It would be like a pianist eschewing everything else in the technical repertoire but the trill, "He's a wonderful artist! Have you ever heard anyone do a trill like that!" "But that's all he does! Everything else is degraded or missing." "You're just saying that because he's a Christian!"

A "classic style" may survive the ages, but Kinkade's enduring claim to fame will be his abuse of this style.
54 posted on 04/07/2012 7:07:51 AM PDT by aruanan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: katiedidit1; tanknetter; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ...

Thanks, a couple of his better ones.


55 posted on 04/07/2012 7:20:45 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (FReepathon 2Q time -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: tanknetter

Whoops. Thanks tanknetter, “Cape Neddick” looked uncharacteristic of Kincade’s, I just didn’t read carefully.


56 posted on 04/07/2012 7:22:05 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (FReepathon 2Q time -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: tanknetter
I love, LOVE, LOVE 'Cape Neddick Dawn'.
57 posted on 04/07/2012 7:25:36 AM PDT by Alice in Wonderland
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: boatbums

This one’s big. Look at the sticker the woman is wearing.
http://www.defense.gov/DODCMSShare/NewsStoryPhoto/2005-10/20051021164934_kinkade.jpg

If people haven’t been able to see a Kinkade original, please see if you can. Yes, many of us have prints or other sundries, but the real McCoys really are something to see. There’s an archive in Monterey.


58 posted on 04/07/2012 7:25:41 AM PDT by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: combat_boots

59 posted on 04/07/2012 7:30:12 AM PDT by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: lupie

Amen!


60 posted on 04/07/2012 7:52:34 AM PDT by ThisLittleLightofMine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-76 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson