My Favorite Artist: Thomas Kinkade

If I’m being totally honest, I’m not that familiar with many artists. I don’t really have much interest in art that much, when it comes to paintings, and I wouldn’t be found walking round a gallery taking in paintings a properly appreciating  them. However when ever I am in Downtown Disney and I come across an art shop/exhibit, I am immediately so drawn to the work I see before me. This is almost definitely because of my extreme passion that I have for all things Disney, but I can’t help but love viewing different creations that artists have designed to bring Disney to life in their own unique ways.

As you can see from the title, the artist I appreciate the most is Thomas Kinkade. Many people may not know him by his name but his work can be very well recognized throughout the Disney fan-base. I came across his art first in Disney shops like i spoke about before, but most recently, I have come across some of his art through my auntie and uncle (who are also die-hard Disney fanatics such as my self hehe) as they have brought his art in puzzle form. My Auntie Liz showed me a few they had purchased when I went to theirs recently and since I have been online stalking his website obsessing over his work. From looking at his website, it was there I came across his other genres of work. He’s done so many amazing scenes (that have nothing to do with Disney in the slightest) with genres such as Christmas, the Great Outdoors, Cottages, Cityscapes, Movies etc. His paintings are so life-like and magical, they are so pleasing to the eye and his talent just shines through them (like literally shines through, he’s known as “The Painter of Light”.  So I wanted to write this blog post to show my appreciation for this fab artist.

Without further ado, I’m going to discuss some of my fave pieces of his work (in no particular order).

1. Pirates of the Caribbean

This painting to me is just AMAZING. I love love love Pirates of the Caribbean so much (the ride and the films) and this painting just brings it all to life. When you look at it you can almost hear “A pirates life for me” being sung in the background, it’s that captivating. What I like most about this painting is the contrast of the dark against the light (a common theme in many of Kinkades work) It truly reflects the feeling you get on the ride of being in another land. His attention to detail is unreal, with so many things keeping it true to the franchise. For example, on the top left you can see the monkey from the films (I think he’s holding one of the Aztec coins) which is a really nice little detail. Other bits we can recognize include the man being hung in the well, the women chasing the men around and, let’s not forget, the classic Black Pearl, sailing in the distance. Will and Elizabeth can be seen quite clearly, fighting pirates in the center, which leaves the question: wheres Captain Jack? If you look carefully by the dock, you can see a representation of the opening scene to “Curse of the Black Pearl” where Jack is standing on his sinking ship, about to get off. I just think this painting is fantastic to be honest bloomin’ love it.

 

2. Disney Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland is definitely my favorite of all the Disney animated films. I used to watch it at my Nana’s house EVERY TIME I went when I was younger without fail (and that is no exaggeration I really was obsessed lol). So it’s really no shock that I fell in love with this painting when I saw it. I love the way it’s as though shes watching wonderland through the stream with Dinah. All the familiar characters can be spotted in this scene which is a great part of it; the Caterpillar, the Queen, the Hatter, the whole lot. The painting almost tells the story itself. The film stands out for its popping bright colors and I think this was perfectly emulated in this beautiful representation.

3. Christmas Evening

It was hard to chose a favorite out of the Christmas paintings he has done, but this one is definitely up there. Like many of his paintings, it gives off such a cozy vibe, with the red sky sunset, the warm glowing lights and whats cozier than a cottage? The way he paints the golden reflection of light on the snow and the river is really pretty and the stream in the distance is a delicate detail that I like a lot. He captures the contrast between the icy exterior and the warm interior and the snowman along with the Christmas tree is a charming touch. It just needs to go above my fireplace this year.

4. A Quiet Evening

Shortly after I saw “Christmas Evening”, I came across this lil beauty. Recognize anything? I LOVE how he has recreated the same painting at a different time. He actually made this one first and the Christmas one a few years after. Again the glowing warmth of the cottage stands out and makes this painting so enticing (again a technique Thomas uses a lot) it just works so well! I just find it really interesting seeing different interpretations of a place created by this artist and I really do think it’s amazing how he creates these scenes and brings them to life like he does.

I really could go on forever discussing why I love his stunning works of art, but you can probably get the general jist of what I like about the. So to round this up I’m just going to post a few more pictures of some more below along with a link to his website where all his work can be found.

Mickey and Minnie- Sweetheart Bridge

Dorothy Discovers the Emerald City

Pools of Serenity

Santa’s Workshop

Tangled

Beauty and the Beast Dancing in the Moonlight

Visit https://thomaskinkade.com/ for so many more stunning pieces. All images are from there.