Thomas Kinkade Checks

Title: The Victorian Garden

As I explored this English garden, I was struck by the overwhelming fragrance of the many blooms. Back home in California, as I worked on the final painting, I was reminded of the delightful floral scent of the garden. Though painters usually deal with qualities of light and color, I must say this painting captures some of that fragrant bouquet on canvas. — Thomas Kinkade

Victorian Garden I, 1992

Title: Stillwater Bridge

The cooling, tranquil feeling of resting beside still waters… what trouble or pain could not be hushed by such moments? And yet, in the rushing of our lives, each of us at times seem to prefer the raging torrents to the quiet brook — why else wouldn’t we seek daily those waters that are still? Stillwater Bridge is an attempt to reflect waters that are still and inviting. I hope you can linger a moment or two. — Thomas Kinkade

Sweetheart Gardens I, 1998

Title: Garden Of Promise

When a close friend lost loved ones, I was amazed to see the serenity and peace that filled his heart. It was almost as if, despite the hardship of parting, he was already anticipating the joyful reunion that lay ahead. He reminded us that he would “see them again soon.” I chose a garden with a rambling stone walkway climbing up through flower hedges to illustrate my tribute to the hope many of us share of the better times that lie ahead. — Thomas Kinkade

The Garden of Promise I - 1993

Title: Bridge of Hope

The BRIDGE OF HOPE is as stable as the massive granite flagstones that form its arch and will stand for as long as the quicksilver brook rolls down from the hills beneath it. A magnificent white dogwood, symbol of the purity of God’s grace, shades the bridge. Its over-arching boughs remind us that, while we stand on the BRIDGE OF HOPE, we are enshrouded by the loving embrace of our creator. — Thomas Kinkade

Bridges of Inspiration I, 2003

Title: Lamplight Village

Can you find it?

As most collectors are aware, Thomas Kinkade often hides whimsical details in his paintings. In his latest masterwork, Lamplight Village , Kinkade has really ‘gone to town’ with these charming accents throughout the scene. As Kinkade puts it, In this painting I wanted to create a scene with a great sense of discovery to it - as though you could stroll over that stone bridge and wander around the village finding things of interest everywhere you looked.

As you wander around this charming setting, keep your eyes open for the following small of hidden details:

An artist with an easel, twelve ducks, three cats, a mouse (a la David Winter), a workman on a roof, seven hidden ‘N’s’, Kinkade’s daughter Chandler (with a ‘C’ on her clothing), Kinkade’s daughter Merritt (with an ‘M’ on her clothing), four dogs, nine lamp posts, two hearts with initials, two hearts with no initials, ten smoking chimneys, a person in a boat, four birds in trees, one perfect rose, a painter’s palette, a man with a pipe (perhaps Norman Rockwell), and an owl. — Thomas Kinkade

Lamplight Village IV, 1995

Title: Lamplight Brooke

When I painted Lamplight Lane, I found myself wondering about the sylvan stream that runs alongside the village lane. I christened it the Brooke Windermer and even imagined floating down it in a skiff. Lamplight Brooke is my picture of what lies downstream from my original Lamplight Lane painting. The quaint village is based on Bourton-on-the-Water, a real English town that I very much enjoy. — Thomas Kinkade

Lamplight Lane II, 1993

Title: Lamplight Bridge

As we float down the Brooke Windermer, a quaint stone footbridge glimmers in distant lamplight, and we appreciate anew the special quality of this romantic light.

The electric light of our century is cold and hard; it produces clean, crisp shadows, In contrast, Victorian lamplight was warm and soft; in its flickering flame blurred shadows danced like leaves in the wind.

Lamplight Bridge, the fifth stop along our imaginary brooke that flows through the English Cotswolds, is enlivened by the vibrant glitter of gas lamps. The ancient stone span, crowned by lampposts, invites evening walkers. The bridge links neighbors who dwell on either side of the stream; it enhances the cozy hospitality of English country living.

You’ll notice, as well, a rustic gate with overgrown trellis that leads form the near cottage down to the banks of our gentle stream. Such a romantic path is an irresistible invitation to all those who are young at heart. Perhaps you and I and all who delight in the charms of Lamplight Bridge can join the village children in sailing our wooden boats on the brooke.” — Thomas Kinkade

Lamplight Lane V - 1996

Title: Lamplight Lane

Lamplight Lane: Quaint English cottages running along a footpath, a lively stream spanned by an ornate Victorian bridge, sunlight breaking through clouds. It seems too perfect to be real; and yet, I painted Lamplight Lane almost completely on location, at a charming little village in the English Cotswold Region that looked very much like this. My artistic imagination supplied only the finishing details. — Thomas Kinkade

Lamplight Lane I, 1993

Title: The Mountain Chapel

Who has not, at the sight of some glorious vista, echoed the poet’s profound sentiment? Before we ever began to build temples in His honor, God graced us with natural sanctuaries radiant with the light of divine love and peace.

In the crowded and busy world most of us live in, there is little enough time to seek out the secluded treasures that give testimony to a divine presence in the world.

The Mountain Chapel, first in the series, is a rough-hewn stone chapel sculpted out of the very granite of the mountains that rise behind. As the mirror-bright lake reflects the majesty of God’s glorious creation, the chapel, bathed in golden sunlight, reflects the generosity of His plan for man.

As my Chapels of Nature series unfolds, we will seek the presence of God in His lakes, forests, hills, and valleys. It is my prayer that we will find Him together. — Thomas Kinkade

Chapels of Nature I, 1998

Title: Hometown Chapel

This is the chapel where we commemorate the landmarks that fill our life: the celebration of marriage, the birth of a child, the commemoration of an anniversary, and even the passing of a loved one. My hope is that my Hometown Chapel will be a part of each of these landmarks, shared with others as a gift. — Thomas Kinkade

Hometown Memories II, 1995

Title: Dogwood Chapel

There are places where the bounty of God’s creation shines forth with such radiance that the humble heart is moved to express its gratitude in prayer. Dogwood Chapel portrays just such a spiritual jewel within a setting of breathtaking natural beauty. A graceful footpath leads us to the door of a modest chapel, lodged within the shade of an overarching, flowering dogwood tree. Whether or not we know the legend of the dogwood, we cannot help but recognize that this tree with its lavish white blossoms is a sign of God’s sheltering grace, and His abiding gift of love. -Thomas Kinkade

Chapels of Nature IV - 2004

Title: Moonlit Village: An Evening Service at the Church on the Hill

In my travels throughout America, I’ve noticed that churches are often built on a hillside or knoll as a means of emphasizing their presence in a town, and I find this to be a particularly poignant concept. These hillside churches, like lighthouses, are high up, so that, figuratively speaking, their light might be seen from afar. I wanted to capture a bit of that feel in my painting Moonlit Village. — Thomas Kinkade

1989

Title: Sunset at Riverbend Farm

Sunset at Riverbend Farm, my first published depiction of a working farm, and the initial print in my Riverbend Farm collection is a lovely pastoral. This picture of peace and prosperity is enlivened by milling cows returning to the barn at evening, and flocks of geese and ducks that ford the pristine stream. — Thomas Kinkade

Riverbend Farm I - 1996

Title: Cobblestone Mill

Cobblestone Mill is a symbol of the natural abundance. The mill wheel will turn for as long as the stream that powers it will flow, grinding the flour that sustains a simple, satisfying village life. The mill stands alone, yet it is enlivened by a dazzling play of light and shade that falls on it from the flowering woods that embrace its solitude. Its dignity is enhanced by the dance of color that so delights the eye. Beauty - and all else that is good - is a gift of light, bestowed by the sun, which also grows the grain that will be ground in this millstone. Cobblestone Mill” reminds us that all blessings flow timelessly from the hand of God. - Thomas Kinkade

Cobblestone Lane V, 2002

Title: The Old Fishin’ Hole

Now I celebrate my own very personal childhood memories with THE OLD FISHIN’ HOLE. As the first in a new series, this is a historic and much anticipated issue. But the reception I anticipate for THE OLD FISHIN’ HOLE stems from something more basic than that. This idyllic image of childhood reminds us of the simple pleasures of a summer day.

Fishing was one of our summer pastimes, and we all had our favorite fishing holes. Covered bridges like this one were rarities in the Sierra foothills, but it seemed, at least in our boyhood imaginings, that big trout gathered in the shadowy depths under those dramatic old bridges. The morning sun dapples the scene in the radiant light of memory. - Thomas Kinkade

The Old Fishin’ Hole I - 2003

Title: Home Is Where The Heart Is II

Home Is Where the Heart Is II expresses those things I value most about family. The classic farm house offers comfort and intimacy and the flowering apple trees promise a rich harvest. It is a favorite saying of mine… and one of my favorite collections I warmly offer to collectors, heart to heart. — Thomas Kinkade

Home Is Where the Heart Is II, 1996

Title: The Garden Of Prayer

Perhaps in a garden we are closer to our creator. We certainly are closer to His creation. My prayer is that this painted garden will be a meeting place for many that would speak to their God in the silence of morning. — Thomas Kinkade

Garden of Prayer, 1998

Title: Hidden Arbor

I often seek out a quiet place to meditate and pray; a special retreat like Hidden Arbor, second in my Secret Garden Places collection. This marvelous waterfall, with its myriad rivulets and streams, is based on an actual place - a little touch of heaven that my family and I discovered on a recent trip to the island paradise of Hawaii. All I’ve added is the romantic arbor with its massive bronze scrollwork. (and of course, the radiant effects of light just have become my hallmark!) The almost tropical luxuriance of the climbing flowers is a gift of the mist, a perpetual veil of cooling moisture created by the dancing waters.

My prayer is that each piece in the Secret Garden Places collection can provide a lovely promise of peace for my collectors. Perhaps each of us, if only in our hearts, can journey to these hidden places for moments of quiet refreshment.

Our first stop was at The Hidden Gazebo, and now the Hidden Arbor beckons us. What “Hidden” treasure will we visit next? Perhaps we can meet there sometime soon! — Thomas Kinkade

Secret Garden Places II, 1994

Title: Hidden Gazebo

If you and I were to walk together along the old Plantation Road north of New Orleans, I could take you to the very spot that inspired the Hidden Gazebo. Perhaps the stairs which lead to the hidden gazebo will carry us to a quiet place of prayer and inspiration. - Thomas Kinkade

Secret Garden Places I - 1994

Title: Morning Dogwood

Morning Dogwood seemed almost to paint itself. The painting started its life as a plein air impression of a tree shaded gazebo that I saw in Hawaii. Back in my studio, I began to feel very strongly that the trees should be pink flowering dogwoods with lavish blossoms—a vision of Eden. — Thomas Kinkade

Dogwood Gardens II, 1995

Title: Conquering The Storms

Inspiration waits around countless surprising corners. Sometimes I even find it… on an inspirational CD! Not long ago, a friend shared spiritual music with me. On the CD cover, photos of brilliant lightning flashed. — Thomas Kinkade

Seaside Memories VI Collection, 1999

Title: Beacon of Hope

Beacon of Hope is a product of imagination and an allegory of faith. A small boat, barely visible on the horizon, rides heavy seas that surge and crash onto a rocky coast; the lighthouse beacon is its sole guide. The keeper’s house is a safe haven against all storms. - Thomas Kinkade

Seaside Memories I, 1994

Title: Victorian Light

Here, in Victorian Light, is the wonderfully civilized formal grace of a great mansion married to the primal strength of a light tower. The graceful filigreed cupolas, the white picket fence, the charming gazebo extending out over the water, the warm glow at twilight—it all says to me: “Welcome. This beacon of faith is yours to share.” — Thomas Kinkade

Seaside Memories VII - 2000

Title: Clearing Storms

Clearing Storms is, to me, a symbolic scene, charged with a joyous message. Stormsdark, brooding, terrifyingare a part of all our lives. When we’re in the grip of a storm, we may feel abandoned by God. The meaning of Clearing Storms is that God’s love is eternal. Up in the sky, God’s light has touched the clouds with myriad colors, transforming them into harbingers of hope. — Thomas Kinkade

Seaside Memories IV - 1997