Thomas Kinkade - Finding God Daily

By Dianne E. Butts with Laurie Winslow Sargent:

Thomas Kinkade the Painter of Light

He died suddenly, at the age of 54, on Friday, April 6. For decades people have been finding God in the art of Thomas Kinkade, the famed “Painter of Light.”

Thomas Kinkade’s paintings of cottages, serene landscapes and garden scenes, and biblical themes became extremely popular. His work was reprinted on a wide variety of items including collectibles, stationery and greeting cards, and wall hangings.

He was especially known for his use of light and highlights in his paintings. According to articles in the Los Angeles Times, “Millions of his paintings and prints hang in homes around the world.” Kinkade said he was “the most collected living artist,” according to another LA Times article.

Many art critics ruthlessly criticized Kinkade’s artwork, according to the LA Times article, Thomas Kinkade — loved by many, loathed by art critics, by David Ng. Yet Ng states that Jeffrey Vallance, who was in the minority, “told The Times that he had respect for Kinkade: ‘He expresses what he believes and puts that in his art. That is not the trend in the high-art world at the moment, the idea that you can express things spiritually and be taken seriously.’”

This referred to Kinkade’s profession of Christian faith. Unfortunately, Kinkade’s life may not have been as idyllic as his paintings, as some people have accused him of making unwise choices that negatively affected others.

We will address this issue in a future post: Finding God Even When Christians Disappoint. Sadly, this can be a stumbling block for those seeking faith and should not keep them from finding a beautiful relationship with Christ.

A family movie about Kinkade’s early life (teen years) was made, titled Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Cottage ) According to IMDb the film is about how “the artist was motivated to begin his career after discovering his mother was in danger of losing their family home.” This movie also shows young Thomas’ relationship with another artist he learned from, played by Peter O’Toole. (You can see the movie trailer below.)

Besides his wife, Kinkade is survived by their four daughters, Merritt, Chandler, Winsor, and Everett. His family believes he died of natural causes, however Kinkade’s pending autopsy report will determine the exact cause of death.

His friend and former business partner, Ken Raasch (reported by L.A. Now) said “He lived life to the fullest… He was a very eclectic character, an amazing artist who was not a stereotypical man in any sense. He created his own mold, I’d say, and I think we were all blessed because of that.”

Regardless of his critics or personal failings, many people find peace in his paintings as well as divine light, and so many are finding God in Thomas Kinkade, “Painter of Light”

© Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, author, and screenwriter. Her latest book Deliver Me is for those in an unplanned pregnancy or with one in their past. Her first book Dear America has just been republished for Kindle. Follow her writing at www.DeliverMeBook.blogspot.com