Monday, April 9, 2012

Thomas Kinkade - In Memoriam

It is with great sadness that we bring you news of the untimely death of our artist and friend, Thomas Kinkade. As those of you who met Thom during his Gallery One appearances know, he was a kind and charming man...and one of the greatest art talents of our time. The "Painter of Light" was adored by many as evidenced by the fact that 1 in 20 homes in America have a Kinkade image hanging on their walls. He was a loving and devoted husband and father to his wife Nanette and his four daughters, Merritt, Chandler, Winsor and Everett. All of us at Gallery One extend our sincerest heartfelt sympathy to each of them.

In his own words, "I try to create paintings that are a window for the imagination," ... "If people look at my work and are reminded of the way things once were or perhaps the way they could be, then I've done my job." He wanted to offer people a cozy, idealized view of the world. Many times the works had a biblical theme. This offered his collectors further comfort and support at times of stress or sorrow. He was not ashamed to put his beliefs into his art. This endeared him to his fans, but not necessarily the art critics.

Thomas Kinkade lectures and sketches at Gallery One

Thomas Kinkade unveils Christmas Chapel I
Thom had most recently visited Gallery One on October 17, 2009 during his "Share the Light" tour. It was a weekend of valuable information and excitement for all. On the 16th, to preview the event, Felicia Zavarella Stadelman lectured about the influence of Norman Rockwell on Thom's paintings. During Thom's lecture, he drew a pencil sketch which was auctioned off for charity afterwards. To the delight of his fans, he unveiled his newest release, Christmas Chapel I. He finished at the signing table by greeting his collectors and personally signing their art.

Thomas Kinkade greets collectors and signs their art
A special Thomas Kinkade tribute complete with art, memorabilia and films is in progress now at Gallery One. We will continue to represent his works at our Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery, Mentor OH. We have been in contact with our order processing friends at Kinkade Headquarters and they have assured us that they are working overtime to expedite Gallery One orders. See the COMPLETE KINKADE FINE ART COLLECTION at http://www.galleryone.com/artframing/kinkade.html.

2 comments:

B and P K said...

We wish to express our sincere sympathy to Nanette, Merritt, Chandler, Winsor and Everett on the untimely death of her husband and their father, Thomas. I'm sure he was a loving and generous husband and father. He was an inspiration to millions of his fans around the world. My wife and I visited his first gallery in Carmel many, many years ago and pledged to own his paintings some day. Several years later, we were fortunate to have met Thom during one of his trips to Gallery One in Mentor, Ohio and became multiple 'Kinkade' owners. When we look at his paintings, we see a calmness and beauty that will forever remind us of him. Our thoughts are with you.

KR, Wmsbrg VA said...

Heaven has a “Painter of Light.” Only Thomas Kinkade, with God’s help, can do it justice. We send Christian sympathy and love to your family.