36 Facts About Thomas Kinkade

William Thomas Kinkade III was an American painter of popular realistic, pastoral, and idyllic subjects.

Thomas Kinkade is notable for achieving success during his lifetime with the mass marketing of his work as printed reproductions and other licensed products by means of the Thomas Kinkade Company.

Thomas Kinkade was criticized for some of his behavior and business practices; art critics faulted his work for being "kitsch".

Thomas Kinkade died of "acute intoxication" from alcohol and the drug diazepam at the age of 54.

William Thomas Kinkade was born on January 19,1958, in Sacramento County, California.

Thomas Kinkade grew up in the town of Placerville, graduated from El Dorado High School in 1976, and attended the University of California, Berkeley, and Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

Wessels encouraged Thomas Kinkade to go to the University of California at Berkeley.

Thomas Kinkade depicted various Christian themes including the Christian cross and churches.

Thomas Kinkade said he was emphasizing the value of simple pleasures and that his intent was to communicate inspirational messages through his paintings.

Thomas Kinkade expresses what he believes and puts that in his art.

Thomas Kinkade earnestly believes in his faith in God and his personal agenda as an artist.

Thomas Kinkade is reportedly one of the most counterfeited artists, in large part because of advances in affordable, high resolution digital photography and printing technology.

In 2011, the Thomas Kinkade studio said that Thomas Kinkade was the most collected artist in Asia but received no income from those regions because of widespread forgery.

Thomas Kinkade's works are sold by mail order and in dedicated retail outlets.

Thomas Kinkade was reported to have earned $53 million for his artistic work during the period 1997 to May 2005.

Thomas Kinkade was criticized for the extent to which he commercialized his art, for example, by selling his prints on the QVC home shopping network.

In 2006, an arbitration board awarded Karen Hazlewood and Jeffrey Spinello $860,000 in damages and $1.2 million in fees and expenses due to Thomas Kinkade's company "[failing] to disclose material information" that would have discouraged them from investing in the gallery.

Thomas Kinkade denied the accusations, and Media Arts Group had defended itself successfully in previous suits by other former gallery owners.

Thomas Kinkade himself was not singled out in the finding of fraud by the arbitration board.

Thomas Kinkade was selected by a number of organizations to celebrate anniversaries, including Disneyland's 50th anniversary, Walt Disney World Resort's 35th anniversary, Elvis Presley's purchase of Graceland 50 years previously and the 25th anniversary of its opening to the public, and Yankee Stadium's farewell 85th season in 2008.

Thomas Kinkade was the artist chosen to depict the historic Biltmore House; he created the commemorative portrait of the 50th running of the Daytona 500 during 2008.

Thomas Kinkade donated to non-profit organizations concerned with children, humanitarian relief, and the arts, including the Make-a-Wish Foundation, World Vision, Art for Children Charities, and the Salvation Army.

In 2003, Thomas Kinkade was chosen as a National Spokesman for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and during the 20 Years of Light Tour in 2004, he raised more than $750,000 and granted 12 wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Thomas Kinkade was reportedly a member of the Church of the Nazarene.

Thomas Kinkade received many awards for his works, including multiple National Association of Limited Edition Dealers awards for Artist of the Year and Graphic Artist of the Year, and his art was named Lithograph of the Year nine times.

In 2002, Thomas Kinkade was inducted into the California Tourism Hall of Fame as an individual who had influenced the public's perception of tourism in California through his images of California sights.

Thomas Kinkade was selected along with fellow artists Simon Bull and Howard Behrens to commemorate the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and the 2002 World Series.

Thomas Kinkade 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 2003, Thomas Kinkade was chosen as a national spokesperson for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

In 2004, Thomas Kinkade received an award from NALED recognizing him as the Most Award Winning Artist in the Past 25 Years.

Thomas Kinkade was recognized for his philanthropic efforts by NALED with the Eugene Freedman Humanitarian Award.

In Heath and Potter's 2004 book The Rebel Sell: Why the Culture Can't Be Jammed, Thomas Kinkade's work is described as "so awful it must be seen to be believed".

Thomas Kinkade died in his Monte Sereno, California, home on April 6,2012, at age 54.

Thomas Kinkade is buried at Madronia Cemetery in Saratoga, California.

Thomas Kinkade's family said initially that he appeared to have died of natural causes.

In corroboration with the autopsy, according to Amy Pinto-Walsh, his girlfriend of 20 months, Thomas Kinkade had been at home drinking alcohol the night prior to his death.