In my painting, Gone With The Wind, I wanted to capture the central romance, but also give a small taste of the gentile old south. Fragrant flowers and lush rolling hills surround Tara, the homestead of the O’Hara family, and serve as quiet sentinels to this way of life.

My painting is populated with favorite film characters and rendered in small cinematic vignettes designed to capture all of the drama and nostalgia of this Hollywood spectacular. I truly hope this painting delights all fans of GONE WITH THE WIND. Beyond this, I pray it reminds us all that true love does exist.” — Thomas Kinkade

My first painting in the Old Time Christmas Collection, A Victorian Christmas Carol, honors this joyous season. Period characters populate this quaint Victorian neighborhood, each enjoying the day with a merry chat, a peaceful stroll, a Yuletide carol, a stolen kiss under the mistletoe, a sleigh ride with Santa and, of course, a joyful snowball fight is in the making!

Look closely you might even find a few characters from stories of Christmas past. I hope that my painting, A Victorian Christmas Carol, fills both your heart and your home with that same holiday cheer. And as only Tiny Tim can say, “May God bless us, everyone!!! — Thomas Kinkade

There is nothing more exciting than the start of a NASCAR® race. The roar of the crowd, the thunder of the high-octane engines, and the spectacle of the event can overwhelm the senses and send adrenaline pumping into the very core of my artist’s imagination. So it was at Talladega Superspeedway®. The "flag to flag” competition that typifies this behemoth track is some of the most exciting of any NASCAR season. With its long, four-wide backstretch and high-banked turns, the speeding gladiators of the raceway thrilled my eye with every lead change.

But beyond the rush of this competition, I also wanted to capture the spirit of Talladega, a legendary venue in motorsports. To do this, I blended the past with the present and modeled the track through my eyes to become timeless in its depiction. With “Number 3,” Dale Earnhardt, taking the checkered flag, his personal NASCAR accomplishments become further cemented into history. He, in my eyes, remains the “Dominator” at Talladega. Whether a focal point for your family’s enjoyment of racing or as part of a larger personal collection of sports memorabilia and art, I hope you enjoy This is Talladega, my vision of a great track, now and forever. — Thomas Kinkade

Sleeping Beauty is my eighth creation in the Disney Dreams Collection, and is the most lavishly detailed of the series that I have painted to date. My painting is filled with the enchantment of the original story. From the woodcutter’s cottage where Briar Rose was hidden by the three good fairies to the magnificent castle where Princess Aurora would awaken to “love’s first kiss” ... then in the distance we see the climatic fight between the good Prince Phillip and the evil Maleficent in dragon form; I’ve interpreted the entire story in a narrative panorama for all to enjoy.

Of course central to the painting, and as testament to the strength of true love, we see the prince and his awakened beauty in each other’s arms as friends great and small gather in celebration of their undying devotion. Whether you are a fan of Sleeping Beauty or simply an unabashed romantic who believes love conquers all, enjoy this painting as my gift to you!

Fans of Disney and of my other traditional work should also find numerous details in Sleeping Beauty to satisfy their collector’s heart. The flowers and trees were completed in my classic style in an effort to delight the fans of my garden creations. The heightened depth of field I created through the use of the dramatic evening sky, the quaint village and the towering castle should please those who enjoy my vista scenes. And finally, for the Disney enthusiasts, all seven images of my prior Disney Dreams Collection are represented on this canvas. I hope you enjoy trying to find my homages to Bambi, Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio and the rest that are hidden. Look closely! I promise they are all there. I also promise that I will continue our journey together into the heart of other classic cinematic masterworks that so define the magical world that Walt Disney wished to provide to children of all ages. — Thomas Kinkade

The British Isles have long been a source of artistic inspiration and personal refuge for me on my own life’s journey. The English countryside is speckled with delightful villages which entice the eye and is graced with a quiet simplicity in lifestyle for the peaceful souls who live there.

Every visit to England is a chance for me to refresh the vision of my artist’s spirit and renew all of my hopes and dreams for a future that is just another day away.

I pray that Rosebud Cottage (inspired by an actual cottage I sketched on one of my visits to England) can provide a similar experience for my friends who view it. — Thomas Kinkade

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” a divine truism emblematic of the foundational bonds that undergird and inextricably link our nation.

Nowhere has that love been more vividly expressed than in the selfless sacrifice of our beloved first responders … and especially in the nobility of our firefighters. Their own mantra, eloquently expressed in A.W. “Smokey” Linn’s “Firemen’s Prayer,” is a moving oath and testament to the humanity and honor of our firefighting brothers and sisters.

“When I am called to duty, God, whenever flames may rage;
Give me strength to save some life, whatever be its age.
Help me embrace a little child before it is too late,
Or save an older person from the horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alert and hear the weakest shout,
And quickly and efficiently to put the fire out.
I want to fill my calling and to give the best in me,
To guard my every neighbor and protect his property.
And if, according to my fate, I am to lose my life;
Please bless with your protecting hand my children and my wife.”

Through its expressions, their character is truly revealed as they selflessly put others above self. As I paid tribute to these heroes, the words of their hallowed prayer profoundly moved me. Perhaps no greater act manifests their courage and resolve than that of the firefighters who selflessly entered the embattled towers on 9-11, an event that although a decade removed, stands as an indelible tribute to the unconditional love and selfless service of our heroes. In this tribute, I portray a fireman deliberately ready to engage whatever obstacle threatens. His gear ready and his rig prepared, he purposefully moves to fulfill his oath. Whether engaging a fire, rescuing a family, or providing lifesaving assistance in an accident, we rest secure in his service knowing that when his duty calls, he will not falter in his purpose of service to others. God bless our nation’s firefighting heroes…would that we all live and serve with such dedication and distinction!” — Thomas Kinkade

“Early in the morning, I will celebrate the light” a powerful and moving refrain written by Byrd and Hindalong, and emblematic of the men and women that daily welcome in the sun as they begin their elegant interlude with nature as its ordained stewards. America’s heritage and character was forged on storied ranches and farmhouses that dot the plains and foothills of our magnificent country. Everyday, the ranching and farming families … nature’s caretakers … vest strength and energy caring for creation while in turn harvesting its bountiful rewards.

Yet their homesteads are so much more. They are a living canvas replete with the strokes of abundance, the shadows of challenge and tough years, and the sunlight of optimism that predicates the delicate partnership between them and nature. And, they are above all else, places of excitement and wonder. While every season leaves its indelible mark on the farm, summer yields the greatest rewards and adventure. During summer, nature’s creatures harmonically roam the farm, the old reliable tractor makes quick work of the harvest, and untold mysteries await those fortunate enough to visit the barn and explore the pond always under the watchful yet permissive eye of dad or granddad. What an amazing forge for rugged individualism, hard work, and the determination so emblematic of our great land. — Thomas Kinkade

A century … a lifetime … a profound legacy! Few endeavors have ascended such lofty heights transcending time and generations. Yet, such is the Indianapolis 500®. Annually, its spectacle drawing untold millions to witness the glory of road hardened warriors pitting wit, courage, and their beloved cars against the very laws of physics as they hurl their way to victory and join the pantheon of racing champions.

Energy is palpable and electric as drivers jostle their respective mechanical steeds in a battle of wills at the famed Brickyard. Securing its place in the noble lore of the honorable and inspiring Volunteer State, the Indianapolis 500 is much more than a race … it is a testament to the resiliency, determination, and character of our great nation. Whether pitted against the backdrop of inclement weather or radiant with approving light, for 100 years the race has captivated the imagination, beckoned future racers, and inculcated itself as one of the greatest sporting events in history. It is a staple of every Memorial Day weekend and as American as any tradition.

Yet this year, more than any other, it stands tall as a testament to the resiliency of its fans and participants to honor such lofty traditions irrespective of challenge. For 100 years, we have come to witness the harnessing of destiny, the creation of champions, and the securing of an indelible legacy! — Thomas Kinkade

“As I painted my homage to this amazing story, I could not help but be moved by the intricate interplay between all of the magnificent creatures under Simba’s domain. I imagined a lush, colorful, and bountiful African plain rightfully reestablished to its splendor after Simba vanquished Scar and his comedic, yet treacherous, hyenas each now forlorn in their punishment. The multitudes of animals have been summoned to pay tribute to Simba’s new baby and their future regent as they wait under a spectacular sky illuminated in great anticipation. The world is as it should be … in harmony and perfectly balanced.

Simba’s heir is exalted by Rafiki and proudly symbolizes what awaits when destiny is embraced, challenges faced, and one summons the courage to stand in the spotlight of providence. I trust that this image will both remind you of this fantastic story and its amazing characters and, most importantly, move you to face the future irrespective of history’s impasses knowing that the watchful and approving eye of the King is content as you embrace your place in the circle of life.“ — Thomas Kinkade

“The ocean has always affected me profoundly. Encompassed within its imposing expanse, history, challenge, and opportunity have each left their indelible mark. Throughout time, men of courage and substance defiantly faced its omnipotence with dreams of fortune and a better life and so set sail to hope.

Shakespeare immortalized the significance of this great expanse when he eloquently connected the fortunes of men with the sea’s deliberate tides. He penned that, “There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, and we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.”

Yet, despite its promise of fruitful ventures, the ocean is replete with challenge, mystery, and danger. Only courage and an abiding faith that tomorrow will bring a new day filled with its own destiny, steel men with the courage to push through its menace. What a powerful metaphor for life. There is a tide rooted in providence and faith that governs the affairs of man. Like the ocean, it is a tide equally predisposed to serenity as to overwhelming swells. Only through courage and faith in providence do we push ahead towards the promise of a better tomorrow, to a new dawn, to hope and opportunity. What a powerful canvas is the sea!” — Thomas Kinkade

Every now and then a painting takes on a life of its own while I am working on it. This was surely the case with Walk of Faith. I originally envisioned creating a majestic garden scene with pathways and waterfalls – a scene to capture the imagination and intrigue the eye. However, as I painted this image, it began taking on such a heavenly appearance that I could actually imagine a stroll through Heaven’s gardens. I envisioned an image of Christ walking in the cool morning light of a garden and conferring with one of His disciples or any of His children…that thought captivated me and filled me with great hope and faith.

At a church service in my youth, I remember seeing a similar painting of Jesus that has always resonated with me and years later as I reflected on the powerful message of the painting, I realized that this was my chance to create a composition reinterpreting this magnificent scene. Here we see Jesus strolling comfortably with Peter. In his hands, Peter holds the symbolic keys to God’s kingdom. I can only imagine what truths and insights they are sharing. How marvelous to have the chance to listen in on the kind and insightful words of the Savior as He patiently shares wisdom with those He loves.

I trust Walk of Faith will move you as it has me and allows you to feel the longing of being in the garden with your Savior. — Thomas Kinkade

Destiny is a term too often bantered about cheaply. Yet for our City by the Bay, whose beloved Giants have yielded some of history’s most iconic players, 2010 was our time … the year that destiny illuminated our Giants and elevated them to World Champions. Their rise to greatness was no small matter. Collectively, we willed them to greater heights and year after year our aspirations fueled their efforts as they finally etched their name into the pantheon of champions. We lived each moment through them … watching their inspired play, admiring their steely determination and investing our unwavering support. We lived it, we felt it, we soaked it in, and together we basked in the greatness of our time!

As I set my easel to paint game one, I was immediately struck by the electric atmosphere and energy of the game. The sea of orange Giant regalia swayed as fans moved with the rhythm of the game. The sky provided a powerful backdrop with its almost palpable orange hues adorned by the setting sun. Tributizing our beautiful Bay, I also adorned the San Francisco skyline and the Bay Bridge with color and light as they welcomed the evening on that momentous day. To my right, McCovey Cove teemed with activity as small flotillas eagerly anticipated home run mementoes sure to rain down from their beloved Giants. All around me fans paid homage to their favorite Giant hero. To my left, a young fan sporting a “fearsome” beard reveled in the evening’s events. Vendors plied cotton candy, caramel corn, and peanuts, adding to the color and excitement of the evening. In every sense, each of us at the game and the millions of fans around us that night lived in anticipation of the championship and now collectively delight in our Giants. It’s our time! We are World Champions! — Thomas Kinkade

For centuries, stately buildings like these have graced the capitals of Europe, each lining the beautiful promenades that characterize city life. As this winter day winds to its inevitable conclusion, evening lights illuminate the shops and attractions along this classic boulevard as each warmly invites passers by with its wares. Couples and families stroll from shop to shop, lazily acquiescing to the evening as they bask in its attractions while nestling warmly together. This evening is especially filled with scenes of elegance and imbued with life as day cedes to evening, and lights dot the snowy horizon creating an interlude of contrast between light and growing silhouettes. Like the many winter evenings before it, this evening on the promenade punctuates the day with class and beauty.

As I staged this painting, I am reminded of the master impressionists who share my passion for light. Painters like Renoir, Sisley and Monet who made countless studies of the effects of light with the goal to enlighten art by bringing it from its previous dark tones and into the wondrous colors of nature bathed in light. Winter’s Dusk is a celebration of the beautiful effects of light on the end of a wintry day and a reminder of the energy and life borne of light! — Thomas Kinkade

No other holiday is more joyful than Christmas. Family and friends come together to celebrate the season, re!ect on Christmas, relish in merriment, and lavish love and gifts on each other. Every Christmas is memorable and "fIlled with so many diverse traditions. Whether your Christmas memories are replete with the unbridled excitement and anticipation of kids on Christmas morning, the beautiful Christmas Eve services, carolers at your door, or the famed Christmas tree hunt, ultimately Christmas is celebrated in the home surrounded by friends and loved ones … and that is the central message of my new painting.

Behind the beautiful Christmas Gate adorned with a holiday wreath and two luminaries gently cascading light across the snow-dusted ground, is a home preparing for the joy of Christmas. Every visitor to this year’s festivities will pass through this gate as its presence reminds them to leave the busyness of life behind and focus on the joy awaiting them inside. In a very real sense, this gate is a local herald beckoning passers to focus on the message of the season.

I trust that this gate will speak to you as profoundly as it does to me … behind its strong gate is a home where memories are in the making and where love abounds. — Thomas Kinkade

Central Park is an amazing focal point for New York City. People of all cultures and backgrounds enjoy its natural setting nestled deep within the walls of this iconic city. The holiday season adds a special charm to the park as holiday lights illuminate the snow dusted ground and chilled winding creek. In the background, The Plaza Hotel stoically braves the winter air. A stone’s throw away the merchants of Fifth Avenue ply their holiday goods as New Yorkers hurry to complete their holiday preparations. In every sense, the city is in full celebration.

I added a winter element and holiday decorations to this classic New York City scene to honor the most important of all holidays. New Yorkers of all walks of life come together to honor the season. Whether, skating at Rockefeller center with its majestic Christmas tree, visiting the world’s greatest toy store, or taking a memorable stroll or carriage ride through the park, holiday cheer permeates the city as the year winds down. Very soon, families will gather in their respective traditions and express their love exchanging gifts and enjoying each other’s company. On New Year’s Eve, not too far from this festive park, millions will gather to usher in a new year filled with faith, dreams, and a promise of a better day.

I love visiting Central Park … it truly is a focal point of beauty, natural harmony, and showcase for the people of New York. — Thomas Kinkade

Despite its bustling nature and hectic pace, I’ve always viewed New York as a very romantic city. Just one block over from the hustle and bustle, couples take romantic carriage rides through the park while the town buildings envelop the scene like looming mountain walls. I portrayed the famous Central Park Bridge near the Plaza Hotel as a setting of great romance. We see a couple crossing the bridge arm in arm, perhaps basking in the stillness of an autumn evening. Lamp light bathes the scene with a subtle glow as the luminous colors of autumn emerge from the mist like glowing embers in a !replace. The creek winds its way under the bridge not yet slowed by the coming winter air while the Plaza Hotel and the towering 5th Avenue skyscrapers stand as sentinels watching over the park.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year in the city, and I love visiting the park during this season. The oranges and reds created by nature are so vibrant and beautiful. These colors, imposed over the canvas like a backdrop of the city, create a breathtaking setting… one that is further enhanced with the sweet aroma of warm honey-roasted nuts wafting through the evening chill. Central Park is truly a magical place where nature and the character of New York combine in serene harmony. It’s a place where a quick cab ride lets you escape the big city and immerse yourself in nature’s brilliant color palette. True to New York form, there is no place quite like Central Park in the fall.

My goal is to add to my New York tributes with this inaugural commemoration of New York’s changing seasons… this is New York at its best; truly a city of romance and excitement. — Thomas Kinkade

Thomas Kinkade painted this image on site during a visit to Graceland^® in September 2006 as a "study" piece for the Graceland^® 50th Anniversary and Graceland^® Christmas paintings.

Thomas Kinkade recalls, “I set my easel up on a crisp autumn morning and set about capturing Graceland^® as it welcomed in the day, creating a beautiful and fitting setting for the home of Rock ‘n Roll’s most prolific icon — Elvis^®!”

Of all the Disney love stories, Beauty and the Beast is perhaps the most poignant. Beast’s true identity is a charming prince who is discovering love in the form of the beautiful Belle. In my painting, I memorialize that magic moment when they first begin to discover their love for each other. Many of the characters from the movie are present, including Belle’s father, Maurice - an eccentric inventor who soars overhead in his homemade flying machine. In the distance, we see the village that is a central setting for many of the film’s most important moments. At lower left, we see the evil Gaston leading his parade of angry townspeople in search of the Beast. As in the movie, the wonderful characters of Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and of course, Lumiere, feature prominently in the foreground.

As with every piece in my Disney Dreams Collection, I attempted to portray a panorama of the entire movie, rather than an individual scene. My desire is that the viewer’s eye would wander around the painting making discoveries in every corner of the image. A tradition in my Disney Dreams Collection is hiding characters from earlier paintings in the current piece and Beauty and the Beast Falling in Love is no exception. See if you can find Snow White, Tinker Bell, the mice from Cinderella, Pinocchio, and if you look carefully you’ll even see Bambi cautiously creeping around the corner of some foliage in the distance below the Castle. Beauty and the Beast Falling in Love represents, in my mind, my highest accomplishment so far in the Disney Dreams Collection. It is filled with detail … all encompassing over 600 hours of studio time.

The crowning achievement and the central discovery in the image is the sweeping sense of romance that is at the core of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. Here truly is unconditional love in its purest form. I hope you sense that love every time you look upon Beauty and the Beast Falling in Love. — Thomas Kinkade

Like most children of my era I was intrigued by The Wizard of Oz during its annual presentation on our TV screen. This adventure provided the ultimate daydream for a young artist whose imagination yearned to “follow the Yellow Brick Road”.

To recreate my passion for Oz in visual form, I utilized my imagination to journey beyond what had been created for the original movie. As is the case with my Disney paintings, each Oz painting will be an attempt to capture the essence of the entire movie in a single emotionally charged image. In the first Oz painting we see Dorothy and friends as they view the fabled Emerald City for the first time. The familiar cast of characters is here – Dorothy, Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, Scarecrow -- as well as the Wicked Witch of the West, scary Winged Monkeys, and of course the Munchkins. We can even see Glinda the Good Witch floating in her transparent sphere of light, as though to bless the journey of the travelers.

I envision this painting as the first piece in what I will refer to as the “Oz Octet”, a collection of eight epic paintings intended to celebrate great moments from this classic film. The eight paintings in this collection will present a monumental challenge to my abilities as a story teller and picture maker. Yet like my Disney collection, I expect this collection to flourish as collectors discover that each painting builds upon the next. Dorothy Discovers the Emerald City is a panorama of the great places from the film. Though while watching the movie none of us can be entirely sure where the Wicked Witch’s Castle is located in relation to the Emerald City, I have placed it distinctly in the foreground suggesting a barren land that must be traversed to encounter the delights beyond. Like The Wizard of Oz^TM film, my painting presents the raw emotions of myth and daydream as they collide with wondrous imagination.

For those collectors who are ready to engage my Oz collection, rest assured that Dorothy Discovers the Emerald City is the starting point of an epic adventure in a land “over the rainbow”. — Thomas Kinkade

Sometimes art is born of inspiration and sometimes of destiny. In the case of my epic painting The Cross I felt both.

As part of the redesign of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, I was asked to provide an image for use on a large wall. A very large wall. In fact as I examined the project, I discovered the surface in question was nearly 40 feet wide and almost 20 feet high – truly a moment of destiny for any artist.

To create the oil painting that would be the basis for the final mural, I utilized one of the largest canvases I have ever attempted in my studio. A full 6 feet wide, this canvas would be enlarged to create the final epic sized mural. I conceived the work as an extension of an earlier piece I had created entitled Sunrise. This painting would take that same vision of a rugged cross upon a mountaintop to new levels. The process was thrilling! As I worked it was as if heavenly light began to pour upon the canvas. It seemed that God’s inspiration kept renewing me to the task at hand.

A final aspect of the creative process came when Franklin Graham himself suggested a fitting title for the work: The Cross. This simple title reflects the lifelong calling and legacy of his father, the evangelist Billy Graham.

My prayer is that this painting will bring hope to many just as Billy Graham has brought hope to millions through the gospel message. — Thomas Kinkade

When I set myself the goal of creating the twelve epic paintings for the Disney Dreams Collection, I knew it would be a vast undertaking. After all, each painting in the series presents not just a scene from a classic Disney feature, but a vision of the entire movie in one image – what I like to call a “narrative panorama”. In my Bambi painting, I wanted to present a broad look at the events of Bambi’s young life, along with the suggestion of his destiny as the newly crowned prince of the forest.

To suggest the moment of Bambi’s empowerment, I positioned him on a rocky precipice overlooking the terrain of his kingdom and the four seasons of his first year. Below him is an image of his own self at a younger age, representing the spring of his life. Surrounding the young Bambi we see the animals of the unspoiled forest – Thumper the rabbit, Flower the skunk, Mole, Otter, and at the left, Bambi’s first love Faline and her protective mother. These gentle animals are reminders that even a prince depends on the loving care of friends and family. If you look closely, Bambi’s self-sacrificing mother can be seen, as though emerging through the mists of memory, as a half hidden image upon the distant mountain. Truly, a mother’s love, like the spirit of the mighty mountains, will guide a son forever.

The lightning and rains at the left of the composition create a visual transition to the second season of Bambi’s life: summer. Further back, below the majestic mountain in the distance, we see a suggestion of Bambi’s winter world, a whimsical season in the movie featuring the playful antics of Bambi and friends in a frozen wonderland.

Bambi’s autumn is the season of his maturity. At the right of my composition we see the fall colors ablaze above the young adult Bambi, as the wisest and mightiest creature of the forest, the old stag, looks on approvingly through a rising mist in the afternoon light.

The central theme of Bambi is the cycle of the seasons and the ongoing flow of life. Waterfalls and rivulets abound in the Bambi movie, suggesting the unstoppable life force, and in my painting we see these cascades just beyond a misty rainbow. Truly, water flows through the world like life itself – a timeless reminder that despite the passing seasons, nature thrives and a new generation is born.

I believe Bambi’s First Year is the most breathtaking subject in my Disney Dreams Collection to date. I attempted to capture the sublime beauty of the forest, combined with the wonderful charm of the forest animals and their playful everyday activities. I hope as you look at Bambi cresting the ridge of his domain, you too will feel empowered to live your best life and to count on a season of new beginnings, even when the challenges of life confront you. Truly for Bambi, and for us, life goes on. — Thomas Kinkade

Great thinkers of the past have described God’s creation as an earthly paradise – and nature herself as a reflection of God’s grace and love. I suppose such romantic notions have always inspired me, and certainly have been a foundational part of my beliefs as an artist. In my newest work, I attempt to conceive of nature as existing in complete harmony in all its elements. We see rolling mountains that gather rain to fill streams that cascade into valleys forming lakes and ponds. We see clouds gathering overhead and a rainbow forming in the sky suggesting the passing moisture of distant rainfall. The skies are filled with migrating birds and wildlife is abundant. Everywhere we look, life is brimming forth with greater blessings.

In the midst of this perfect setting, I conceived of a perfect retreat: a woodsman‘s cabin, with lights glowing to welcome us home after a day spent fishing on the lake or exploring the woods’ trails.

This is the third painting in the series that began with Mountain Retreat, and as the last piece in the series I wanted to pull out all the stops and let the detail be even more abundant than ever. As you explore this painting, may you discover that Nature’s Paradise is waiting to welcome you in. — Thomas Kinkade

On a recent return trip to Paris, I had the opportunity to discover the visual joys of this city anew. I have experienced Paris during each season and would be hard pressed to pick a favorite, though Paris in winter is particularly luminous. There is a tremendous sense of expectation in Paris as the glowing lights of boulevard cafes contrast brilliantly with the subtle paletteof long winter nights. Snow falls rarely in the “City of Light”, and when it does, excitement seems to build as the snow accumulates. In my mind’s eye I like to turn back the clock to a simpler era and picture the wonderful costumes and festive life of the Impressionist era.

As a young artist exploring my style, I attempted to find inspiration from the French Impressionist viewpoint. I even created a brush name, “Robert Girrard”, that allowed me to create paintings with the carefree abandon of Monet, Renoir, and the other grand masters of the Impressionist style. My passion for Paris and my zeal for color and atmosphere are vibrantly expressed in my painting Evening on the Seine. It is a loving tribute to the timeless city that made the Impressionists famous. — Thomas Kinkade