| If I told you that there was an American painter who owns over 300
retail outlets for his work (mainly in malls - not only paintings, also
books, figurines, and much more), who elicits fanatical devotion from
his fans (some have purchased over 100 pieces, costing over $100,000),
who is developing his own California
city constructed from houses featured in his paintings, yet many art
critics do not even know who he is, would you believe it?
Well, it's true, and now you can even hear radio
commercials for him, the "Painter of Light". As
America's foremost living artist, Thomas
Kinkade's reputation continues to grow, and so does the demand for
his artwork. Even people who have never had much of an interest in art
before find themselves captivated by Thomas Kinkade's warm and inviting
visions of quaint, cozy cottages and sophisticated, impressionistic
cityscapes that are among the artist's signature subjects.
While much of the criticism he receives probably stems
from envy of success, Kinkade, who already licenses his name or work for
everything from collector plates to a line of La-Z-Boys, is putting his
stamp on a new Vallejo housing development inspired by his small town
scenes. These homes -- the first, it seems, modeled on a specific
artist's work -- are just one of the brand-building projects that
Kinkade's Media Arts Group is pursuing. Starting in the $400,000s, the
houses will be on the pricey end of a Kinkade product line that includes
$9.95 mugs and $20 computer screen-savers.
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