Famed artist Thomas Kinkade passed away in his home at the age of just 54 years, and reportedly of “natural causes” according to CNN. Hee’s the “Painter Of Light” in San Francisco, at Ivy Gate Studio, talking about how he creates a vision of San Francisco:
Of painting San Francisco, Thomas Kinkade said:
“As you may know, my heart resides in the City by the Bay. San Francisco, Powell Street marks the 19th release in my San Francisco collection, yet this wonderful town continues to provide breathless panoramas even for a seasoned visitor.
Perhaps that’s because San Francisco is such a lived-in city. Wherever you look you find dynamic street life – vendors, neighbors, shoppers, and the ever present cable car.
San Francisco, Powell Street gives me an opportunity to return to the hilltop I first painted in my tremendously popular “San Francisco, A View Down California Street from Nob Hill,” but looking in a different direction. I’ve taken artistic license to move the wonderful Bay Bridge slightly south to provide a full view – after all, what would the “City by the Bay” be without a bridge in the distance. In the middleground we see the Sir Francis Drake Hotel with its famous Starlite Roof, adorned by its landmark spinning star atop the stately main tower.
In 2008, Kincade was named featured artist for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Centennial Era. In this video, we join him in discovering Indy:
And here’s Thomas Kinkade presenting his epic epic mural at The Billy Graham Library in 2010:
For more of the life and work of Thomas Kincade, visit his YouTube channel: Thomas Kinkade YouTube
In closing, I have to take issue with Mike Swift’s Contra Costa Times article, written as if it was “looking for dirt” – mentioning that he had a “dark side” because he got a DUI in 2010. Give me a break! If that’s the case, most of adult America has a dark side. Why write that after the man has passed on?
I know there’s no cause for his death, and I’m hoping it wasn’t suicide given how the economy was impacting his business, but have some respect. Kinkade was just an ordinary guy who made extraordinary work.
If you want to give Mike Swift a piece of your mind, he’s here on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/swiftstories
Bill Carroll