[Intuos]

Thomas Kinkade, I suppose, has become somewhat "trendy", but I've always loved his work. I was wondering if there are any other "fans" of his paintings here?

I think I remember a VERY long time ago Craig mentioning that he roomed with him in College, or something like that? Anyway, I absolutely love the way he uses light in his works. It's so... harmonic.

Hmm, while I'm on this topic, would anyone know of a webpage that has some high-resolution scans of his stuff?

Thomas Kinkade

[jr]

ah yes, the christian painter of light. a great marketer and pretty good painter too. i'm pretty sure he's much older than craig, you're talking about mr. spooge right?
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[Intuos]

Heh, yea, I don't agree with his religion, but I do love his work.

Yea, I'm talkin' about Spooge. Kinkade is only 44, I think that is approximately Craig's age, isn't it?

[balistic]

"The Painter of Light"

He doesn't even understand light. At least, not in any painting of his that I've seen.

It's wallpaper. He's a decorator, not a painter.

Bob Ross has infinitely more credibility to me than Kinkade does.

At least Bob Ross didn't produce his paintings in a factory and sell them to little old ladies for ridiculous amounts of money. I mean, shit, an unframed 16x20" print (onto which an assistant has painted highlights) is $700. The day it goes up in value is the day the aliens invade and replace our brains with Tic-Tacs.

And it looks horrid. Cripes it's bad.

There are at least 30 people on Sijun who out-paint Kinkade.

If you're into romantic landscapes, look into Moran:

http://www.ellensplace.net/moran.html

or Parrish:

http://parrish.artpassions.net/parrish.html

They deal a slightly idealized reality, similar to Kinkade, but they are much better painters. Parrish uses colors like a sensory bazooka.
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brian.prince|light.comp.paint

[Gort]

Yo Ballistic - I agree with you 100% - his work is decorative; it seems as if his lighting is too localized within areas of the piece without proper dispersment.

But some people enjoy it and will buy it.

By the way, Parrish is the shiznit.
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- Tom Carter

"You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf" - Jack Kornfield

[Anthony]

I find his work pretty. That's about all I ask of artists who are trying...to make something pretty.
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-Anthony
Carpe Carpem
http://www.anthonyfransella.com

[Gort]

Anthony - I can relate to that as well - it is pretty stuff, and as I said before some people will gladly buy it. I for one prefer other stuff.
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- Tom Carter

"You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf" - Jack Kornfield

[NeoFun]

Either he is an actual "painter of light" or is simply capitalizing off of religion. Either way, he lacks talent and needs some help on how to draw the human form.
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i like rice.

[ZippZopp]

while his paintings seem somewhat cheesy to me, i wouldn't say he lacks skill, his work is pretty tightly rendered which does take skill. i've seen much better painters and would agree that there are quite a few people in this community who are better, but i will give him some credit

[Intuos]

[balistic]

Speaking of painting light, I stumbled across this on a Maxfield Parrish site:



I hadn't seen it before. My respect swells. Awesome. Need to find a better photo of it though . . .
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brian.prince|light.comp.paint

[Gort]

I wouldn't say that Kinkade lacks talent. I think he does have artistic ability; however, I personally don't like his style (I find it a bit over sensational and canned), but I don't think he is trying to appeal to the me or any other member of the artistic community - he's marketing himself to a broad consumer audience - Grannies and Moms and folks like that, and he's done a pretty good job at it. In that respect I do give him some credit; he's doing what he wants to do and making a living at it; people are buying his stuff.

Being able to successfully market yourself as an artist is in itself an accomplishment, and it's what we all strive for - as creatives - in some way or another.
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- Tom Carter

"You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf" - Jack Kornfield

[igorknez]

I can't believe Kinkade is discussed here on Sijun Art forum.

Come on people... there are MANY artists that deserve attention and they don't get any!

Come on .... that guy creates probably the worst works on this planet.
The fact that he has some technical talent just makes things worse.
Him and his buddy Wyland just make me puke.

How many more stupid warmly lit houses in fantasy-fairy suburban setting should we see as we walk down any main street in any major town in the US?

Xmas Fusion Galore (TM) for all of us fooooreeeeeveeeerrrrrr.
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youmayfindyourself

[don perkins]

kinkaid (sp?)...what a hack. And yes, I know my work sucks, but at least i don't paint sucrose. It does irritate me though that he paints anything and it sells, and there are very talented artists with vision, having to work menial jobs to pay the rent. It's true in any art form though; listen to the 'popular' stuff on the radio...
Thanks for the great links Brian; Parrish has always been a favorite, as well as Moran.
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Don Perkins
www.donperkins.com

[YVerloc]

I believe it was Samuel Johnson who said of Alexander Pope's "Essay on Man" that "Never before has paucity of knowledge and vulgarity of sentiment been so happily diguised". That sums up my feelings about Kinkade's work excellently.

A friend of mine recently attended a lecture on the subject of pornograhy. The lecturer presented an interesting analogy in suggesting that romance novels are the de-facto female analogue of the porn film industry. If that's the case, then I put it to you that a Kinkade painting is the heartland housewife's 'Beer Girl' poster. Or to borrow from Chomsky: "one person's pin-up nudie is a another person's pink landscape"

Anyhow, opinions are one's own to hold, and that's mine for what it's worth.
YV

[tayete]

Well, I didn't know this guy's work, but I must say it reminds me of those cheesy Christmas cards that are sold at the street.
I am not a good artist, but I can distinguish what has "quality" and what not. And that pictures definitely lack of it.

BALLISTIC: Here (Spain) Parrish isn't too known (I didn't know him), but I must say he's amazing
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http://tayete.blogspot.com

[Jin]

[Gort]

Jinny - no offense to you, for my comments were directed to a more general audience - an audience that would most likely show a disdain to anything other than 6 force fed helpings of cotton candy.

[spooge demon]

I never met the guy, a friend of mine roomed with him at ACCD. im 38

I'm kinda disappointed that people think themselves, outside of anyone's opinion, objectively, aesthetically speaking, above Kincade.

If that is not what you are a saying, forgive me.

Art is subjective, and I am amazed how that fact rolls right off people. "I know art is subjective, but Kincade really sucks!"

I have no illusion that my opinion matters to anyone (personally, I make sure I am practiced on the self-Heimlich before I walk by the Kincade gallery in that mall) so I don't even bother to state it generally.

Us digital artists getting all uppity. Who would have thought.

[tayete]

Well Spooge, we could get here in a dangerous-philosophical discussion ("Can a picture be considered art if you don't show it to anyone, if nobody receives a message from it?", etc... I've been reading a lot about that lately, and got no conclussion yet).

I mean, for what I know at the Art Colleges you are taught some basic things that help to spare well rendered pictures from bad ones. I am not an artist, but every time I go to the Prado Museum here at Madrid, I see things in Velazquez that are just the basis of the art classes: light, contrast, colour theory, etc... I am not talking about being a genius, just applying the basic terms of art. If then I go to a gallery, most of the times I'll find paintures made by people who are not as talented as Velazquez, but that still have skills and apply the basic terms of art (even if it is an abstract pictue).

But sincerely, even though this guy seems to "transmit" to some people some kind of message, I cannot find a single brush stroke that could tell me that is part of the lowest scale of art. Yes, it is art, of course, but bad art.

Art may be subjective, but there are certain rules that have survived from the Altamira caves until now...and well, Spooge, I find them in every of your great pictures!
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http://tayete.blogspot.com

[Gort]

[balistic]

[eyewoo]

aye!
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[Lunatique]

Aye!

[Jin]

[Socar MYLES]

I think the shame about Mr. Kinkade's work is that it never seems to change. He seems to stay always in the same comfort zone, and never expand into new things.

I guess it's just that he's found his niche and is sticking to it, but it seems a bit limiting to me. Or it could be that it's just not to my taste. But I like artists more who are always trying to improve, putting new ideas (even if only new for them) into their work.
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[spooge demon]

Sounds like a good way of figuring out what is good and what is not. What keeps peoples interest in the future, and what work influences subsequent artists. The impressionists are remembered because of their influence into artists of the 20th century. Not cause they pretty. I think.

But Jin, I bet a lot of people might have said the same to a lot of popular artists, Rockwell included, and a lot of comic artists, the list goes on. I am sure many have an aesthetic experience in looking at Kincade's work that is equal to any of ours in looking at our favorites . I admire any artist who can do that, regardless of what I may think of the work myself.

But I will go out on a limb here and guess Mr. Kincade will be forgotten rather quickly. Wait and see I suppose.

[Light]

..

[Max]

"aye"

[eyewoo]

My bet is that limb is on a giant oak and is very thick and strong!

Does anyone remember Keene (sp.) - those big soporific eyes. Simple formula painting. Same thing, eh!
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