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CANNERY ROW SUNSET

     Monterey’s famed Cannery Row is undergoing a renaissance. No longer the bustling sardine fishing center immortalized by John Steinbeck; it entices visitors today with its many fine shops and boutiques, including a Thomas Kinkade Gallery.

    As I continue my odyssey as an artist, I find myself drawn to the historic seaside villages of California. One of the reasons, I believe, is that the coastal air, saturated with mist, lays down a mirror-like film of moisture on streets and walkways. Cannery Row Sunset, created to celebrate Cannery Row’s 50th Anniversary, makes full use of the reflective play of light and color, not only on the busy streets but upon the luminous surface of Monterey Bay.

    As I worked, urged on by crowds of enthusiastic collectors, a friend drove up with his historic ‘53 Chevy Bel Air, which takes us back to the glory days of Cannery Row. Many of the colorful storefronts also date back to the era immortalized in Steinbeck’s novels.

    A historic Cannery Row walkway bridge crosses the thoroughfare and in the distance we see hints of the world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. Sunset enriches the vista with touches of pink and gold; soon it will be time for a relaxing meal of seafood fresh from the bay. — Thomas Kinkade




CAPITOLA VILLAGE

     An artist strives for the ability to see familiar places as if for the first time.

    Capitola Village is a favorite destination for an afternoon drive. I have friends there; Nanette and I dine with them there. This charming coastal village is as familiar as my back yard; I've even painted it many times.

    Imagine my surprise then, when I ventured onto the cliffs above Capitola to be greeted by a dazzling new vista. In the afternoon light the buildings seemed to glisten like the Emerald City of Oz.

    I returned the following week and set up my easel at this precise spot. The long wooden pier divides the ocean into gemstone color swaths - emerald and turquoise. Pinks and blues shimmer in the town; the cliffs and beach are painted rose by the setting sun. I was truly seeing Capitola Village as if for the first time. — Thomas Kinkade




SAN FRANCISCO, THE PRESIDIO

     There is a special golden moment on a San Francisco spring morning when the sun seems to break through with such clarity and radiance that it is as though you'd stepped through the gates of Paradise.

    When I set up my large easel in San Francisco's richly historic Presidio, I was blessed with just such a glorious morning. Shadows danced on the foreground and the ancient chapel seemed to come alive. The Presidio is one of San Francisco's oldest districts; since the Spanish occupation in 1776, it has been the site of Spanish, Mexican, and U.S. naval and military operations. The region, with its nearly five hundred historic buildings, splendid hiking trails, and spectacular natural vistas became a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in 1994.

    Plein air painting allows the spirit of place to literarily take hold of my brush. As I worked, it seemed that the ghosts of history swirled around and my brush was charged with a special energy that was equal measure history, inspiration, and the golden morning sun.

    I was joined by a number of my dealers as I worked on this piece; I decided to release San Francisco, the Presidio to share the moment with those who couldn't be there. — Thomas Kinkade




WAILEA CHAPEL

     The impulse of faith and a love of beauty seem to go together. That is how I explain the fact that often, in my travels, I've paused before a vista of breathtaking loveliness, only to find that a quaint little chapel stands near the spot. It is as if the faithful are gently reminding us that this, too, belongs to God. When our family visited the tropical paradise of Maui, I knew nothing of Wailea Chapel. But my experience led me to expect that such an exquisite natural setting as this must have in it somewhere a perfect little gem of faith.

I found Wailea Chapel, a charming little whitewashed church with a proud steeple, not more than a block from the blue Pacific, nestled under a stand of palm trees and enveloped in lush tropical flowers. I had to paint it. — Thomas Kinkade




A VIEW FROM CANNERY ROW, MONTEREY

     Plein-air painting often becomes a public performance. The very act of setting up easel and canvas invariably draws a crowd. When I painted A View from Cannery Row, Monterey, I took the process one step further, by inviting an audience of over three hundred collectors to join me as I worked.

     In a sense, I painted for another audience, as well - for John Steinbeck and the memorable characters he assembled in his Cannery Row: Mac, Doc, Lee Chong, and Dora Floyd. I like to think that the energy of their lives guided my hand as I worked.

    I began by sketching in the painting in subtle tones of blue and grey, and then added the bold colors of the wharf buildings. I worked to a chorus of gull cries, and seals that seemed to bark in harmony with the rolling surf. I tried to capture the play of light as it glistened on the waves. As I painted, a brisk breeze brought a tang of ocean air to my nostrils.

    Working out under God's sky is a total sensory experience that helps the artist capture the spirit of a place. Cannery Row, in Monterey, evokes the vibrant energy of a vigorous lifestyle through its picturesque setting, its rough-hewn buildings, and its fond literary associations. A View from Cannery Row, Monterey expresses all of that in a way only a painting can. — Thomas Kinkade




TIMES SQUARE

     Every great city has its own distinctive spirit. New York is assertive, sophisticated, even a touch overwhelming. When I'm there, I feel energized, tuned in; my heart beats to the jazzy rhythms of the city. Times Square has become synonymous with the constantly active, neon-lit "city that never sleeps." When I set up my easel to paint this world-famous entertainment district, I wanted to look beyond the cliché; to see past the glitz and glamour of the theaters and restaurants. I wanted to catch Times Square in a more reflective mood.

    I painted my Times Square in the morning, when New York's store front lights flicker on with the dawning rays of sunlight. The sky is clearing after a rain; the wet streets reflect the dance of auto headlights on their mirror surfaces. A relative handful of pedestrians, just emerging after the storm, scurry on the sidewalks, but the streets are filled with cars. The rush of traffic within the canyon formed by skyscrapers makes the city resemble a fantastic futuristic machine. As I worked, my progress was watched by millions of people on the Good Morning America show and the energy of the crowd seemed to fuel my brush like a jazz musician playing before an enthusiastic crowd. — Thomas Kinkade




EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

     "I had never imagined that any city in these islands could be at once so beautiful and fantastic." -J.B. Priestley

    The decades-long love affair between the Kinkade family and the British Isles continues with Edinburgh, Scotland, my plein air portrayal of a city of almost magical charm.

    Ever since Nanette and I first walked the rural pathways of the Cotswolds, I have greatly admired the humble cottages as well as the elegant manor houses of England, where the aura of long, continuous occupation touches every dwelling with a special dignity.

    But I've never had so strong a sense of the living Middle Ages as I did when I sat before my easel overlooking Edinburgh's famed Old Town. The towers and turrets of the magnificent castle and the spires of churches contrast with the horizontal sweep of colonnades along the royal mile. The architecture reflects and amplifies the grandeur of the rugged hillsides and the lush, sweeping parkway.

    In Edinburgh, Scotland the works of God and the works of man exist in an almost miraculous harmony. Here, truly, is a city built for quiet contemplation and civilized living. On the day I sat down to paint her, fleecy clouds added their dappled shadows to the delightful vista. — Thomas Kinkade




LONDON AT SUNSET

     No matter where you are in the world, the colors from a sunset are always magnificent. Here in this peaceful London scene, is a wonderful example of the soothing transformation of day into night. The river surface brilliantly reflects the colors thickly smeared across the sky. In this beautiful piece, Thom has given the impression that the sky does not simply end once it touches the earth. — Thomas Kinkade




ELLIS ISLAND

     When I visited this great port-of-entry for some 22 million immigrants, I was profoundly moved by a new appreciation for the powerful promise of American freedom. The dream of a better life for themselves and their families prompted so many to attempt the perilous voyage. Seasick and heartsick, packed into the holds of overcrowded ships, our parents and grandparents bid farewell to the world they had known and headed bravely into an unknowable future.

For them, Ellis Island, neighboring The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, represented the commencement of that future. — Thomas Kinkade




CARMEL MISSION

     There are few places as beautiful as the Carmel Mission at the very moment the sun breaks out from behind a mass of clouds. The beautiful rays pierce down through the trees and light the way to this monument of the great missionary of the Cross, Padre Junipero Sera. — Thomas Kinkade




HOTEL DEL CORONADO

     The stately, elegant American past lives on in unexpected places. One of these is in San Diego, where the Hotel Del Coronado - one of the grand dames of stately nineteenth century wooden hotels - looms like a dowager empress over its picturesque shore.

When I visited, I found that the Del, as it's called, is haunted by memories of gentlemen in top hats strolling the grounds, with ladies in long evening gowns on their arms. Traditions such as high tea, and memorable Thanksgiving and New Years celebrations, hearken back to that fashionable era. Indeed, the Hotel Del Coronado, the glamorous setting for such classic movies as "Some Like It Hot," is an authentic American treasure.

I set up my easel in the sand, and began to paint just as the morning fog lifted and golden light broke through, bathing the dignified old hotel in a radiance that seemed to banish the years. I tried to capture the almost rapturous sense of renewal that was a gift of the sparkling ocean air, the crisp green ice plants, and the graceful palm trees swaying in the breeze.

Hotel Del Coronado reflects my determination to capture American landmarks on canvas. I hope it will become a landmark in your collection, as well. — Thomas Kinkade




ISLAND AFTERNOON, GREECE

     The impressionistic technique of Island Afternoon, Greece allowed me to explore the interplay of color on this sun-drenched hill. The sun was high in the sky, the Aegean was a radiant sapphire blue. The hues of rock and vegetation interweave in a tapestry that expresses the glory of God's creation. — Thomas Kinkade




SUNSET ON MONTEREY BAY

     The Kinkade family is charmed by the romantic vistas of Monterey Bay; in fact, I've established the Thomas Kinkade Museum and Cultural Center in this heavenly setting to give us a reason for our frequent visits.

    My girls and I especially love to set out on our bikes along the winding trail that skirts the dramatic shoreline, revealing spectacular ocean vistas like the one I've captured in Sunset On Monterey Bay. I'd loaded my painting setup on my bike that day in the hopes that I'd discover just such a breathtaking view, and I wasn't disappointed.

    As I set to work, the setting sun painted the clouds and the mirror surface of the ocean with luminous sunset colors; I worked feverishly to capture the glorious radiance. Monterey pines outlined the rocky promontories with their bold silhouettes. Somehow, the cries of seagulls only enhanced the rapturous quiet of the calm Pacific.

    I make it my practice to show the originals of my plein-air paintings at Kinkade Museum, and I recently had such a showing of Sunset On Monterey Bay for a private gathering of collectors. Since most of my collectors are romantics at heart, with a special fondness for sunsets over the ocean, the reception was gratifyingly enthusiastic. I hope that it will awaken the romantic in your soul as well. — Thomas Kinkade




PARIS, ST. MICHEL

     No matter where you are in the world, the colors from a sunset are always magnificent. Here in this peaceful London scene, is a wonderful example of the soothing transformation of day into night. The river surface brilliantly reflects the colors thickly smeared across the sky. In this beautiful piece, Thom has given the impression that the sky does not simply end once it touches the earth. — Thomas Kinkade




SUNSET OVER RIGA, LATVIA

     Recently I had the chance to visit the enchanting Baltic city of Riga in the tiny Baltic republic of Latvia. During this trip my wife and my two oldest daughters participated in an arts camp for orphans that we had helped sponsor, and throughout the week I had the opportunity to set up my easel and capture some of the beauty of Latvia.

    For my painting Sunset Over Riga, Latvia, I attempted to capture the elusive light of dusk. When you paint as the sun is setting, God sets the timetable. My awareness of the evanescent quality of the light is heightened as the radiant glow ignites the low clouds in bursts of orange and flame, as the street lamps and auto headlights flicker on, as reflections and shadows dance in the cold waters of the river Daugava.

    Riga, Latvia, is one of the grand old cities of Europe, considered to be the romantic heart of the Baltic. It was opened to tourism with the fall of the former Soviet Union - how fortunate we are to live in an era when this historic treasure with its picturesque medieval districts can once again be celebrated by all.

    Sunset Over Riga, Latvia displays the vast sweep of the ancient city, in the manner of El Greco's "View of Toledo." Dominated by the soaring spires of St. Peter's on the square and the Dome Church, the skyline flickers with a thousand points of light, creating a festive atmosphere. Enjoying the sunset view, I am not surprised to learn that Riga is the historic home of the world's very first Christmas tree. — Thomas Kinkade




PLAZA LIGHTS, KANSAS CITY

     The most memorable place in Kansas City must be the Country Club Plaza with its old world architecture, you may gave a hard time distinguishing this famous shopping and entertainment neighborhood from similar districts in Barcelona, Rome, or Lisbon. — Thomas Kinkade




PORTOFINO

     You might think that Nanette would get tired of interrupting our vacations with long pauses while I stop to do one of my Plein Air paintings. But my wife knows me too well for that. She enters enthusiastically into the adventure, sometimes actually choosing my subjects for me.

When the two of us stumbled on this view of Portofino, on the Italian Riviera, it was Nanette who said, "Oh, Thom, what a wonderful seascape that is. You just have to paint it."

What stretched before us was a wonderful old harbor with a fabulous fleet of fishing boats dancing on the waves. A colorful array of ancient buildings tumbled down the hillside, almost spilling into the blue Mediterranean. The old town merges imperceptibly into the vineyards that flourish on the fertile hills. — Thomas Kinkade




PUERTO VALLARTA BEACH

     The thatched and shaded umbrellas are called palapas; sunbathers simply raise little flags when they want service. I painted this lovely tribute to life on the beach, and to the fine art of relaxation, tropical style. — Thomas Kinkade




TUCK BOX TEAROOM, CARMEL

     I love Carmel. The town looks like it was invented by artists, which, in a sense, it was. Galleries are everywhere. The houses are incredibly picturesque, and when I set up my easel on one of the boulevards, I'm just doing what so many painters do every day.

The Kinkade family is as fond of Carmel as I am; my girls were with me on the sunny afternoon when I painted Tuck Box Tea Room, Carmel. It's a thoroughly charming little spot - with scones and tea cakes that just melt in your mouth. On this particular day, Chandler, I believe it was, said to me, "Daddy, is that the gingerbread house? You know, the one Hansel and Gretel tried to eat?" — Thomas Kinkade




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