Thomas Kinkade is America’s most collected living artist. Coming from a modest background, Kinkade emphasizes simple pleasures and inspirational messages through his paintings. As a devout Christian, Kinkade uses his gift as a vehicle to communicate and spread inherent life-affirming values.
It was while growing up in the small town of Placerville, California that these important values were nurtured. During this time Kinkade began to explore the world around him. He spent a summer on a sketching tour with a college friend, producing the best-selling instructional book, The Artist’s Guide to Sketching. The success of the book landed the two young artists at Ralph Bakshi Studios to create background art for the animated feature film Fire and Ice. It was also during this time that Kinkade began to explore light and imaginative worlds with abandon.
After the film, Kinkade earned his living as a painter, selling his originals in galleries throughout California. In 1982, he married his childhood sweetheart, Nanette, and two years later they began to publish his art.
A devoted husband and doting father to their four daughters, Kinkade strives to lead a balanced life, committed to family values. Kinkade creatively fills his paintings with “love notes” by hiding the letter “N” in his paintings as tribute to his wife, Nanette. His daughters also find their own messages of love from their father as their names and images often appear in many of his paintings.
Kinkade credits the Lord for both the ability and the inspiration to create his paintings. His goal as an artist is to touch people of all faiths, to bring peace, and joy into their lives through the images he creates. The letters he receives every day testify to the fact that he is achieving this goal.
Thomas Kinkade is involved in several collaborations, including a partnership with one of the most charitable organizations in the United States, The Salvation Army. Two special charity prints were created for The Salvation Army, The Season of Giving and The Light of Freedom. Proceeds were donated to The Salvation Army’s General Fund and to help aid those in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. More than $1.5 million has been donated as a result of this affiliation. The Thomas Kinkade Foundation serves and supports non-profit organizations focusing on children, humanitarian relief, and the arts. Kinkade’s involvement in such organizations, along with his appearances on the award winning news broadcast, 60 Minutes, as well as Good Morning America, is testimony to the fact that his artwork is touching the hearts of millions worldwide. Most recently, Thomas Kinkade was chosen as a National Spokesman for the Make-A-Wish Foundation™.
Thomas Kinkade has received many awards for his works, including multiple National Association of Limited Edition Dealers (NALED) awards for Artist of the Year and Graphic Artist of the Year, and his art has been named Lithograph of the Year nine times. Most recently in 2004, Kinkade received a special award from NALED recognizing him as the Most Award Winning Artist in the Past 25 Years. In 2004, NALED honored Kinkade with the Eugene Freedman Humanitarian Award. In 2003, he was chosen as a national spokesperson for the Make-A-Wish Foundation™ and has raised over $350,000 for the organization while on his 20 Years of Light Tour. He was honored with the 2002 World Children’s Center Humanitarian Award for his contributions to improving the welfare of children and their families through his work with Kolorful Kids and Art for Children. In 2002, Thomas Kinkade was inducted into the California Tourism Hall of Fame as an individual who has influenced the public’s perception of tourism in California through his images of California sights. He was selected to commemorate the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games and the 2002 World Series. Kinkade has met with the Pope, U.S. Presidents, celebrities, and other well-known dignitaries to convey his hope-filled, life-affirming message. His influence knows no bounds.
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