I have been getting emails flaming Thomas Kinkade, his website, and his paintings for sometime now. I am unsure if they just assume I am affiliated with his website or if the website actually contains my personal address. This is the most amusing flame thus far.
Note how they misspell his name. I hate that.
Hmmm…you know, I saw some of his “paintings” in magazines, and they didn’t really bother me, since I didn’t pay too much attention. I mean, yeah, they were cutsey and idealistic, but who wouldn’t want to live in a cottage right by a stream-that’d be neat.
However, looking at this website…talk about ego-masterbation! Sheesh! And the way he talks about how “inspired” he is…c’mon, dude, it’s just some silly little paintings.
I’ll stick with my pre-Raphaelites, thankyouverymuch.
http://www.jwwaterhouse.com/
(Yeah, they are mass produced now, but so is any famous painter.)
BTW, who’s that painter, Christian something or other who does the dolphins and whales scenes? Ugh…I like dolphins and whales, but I like them on my NOTEBOOKS, not on my walls.
And don’t knock Holly Hobbie! I have Holly Hobbie dolls from when I was little-I had HH wallpaper, and HH sheets and dolls and purses and a hook rug. For little girls, HH is cute, you have to admit. I still have my Holly Hobbie dolls. IN fact, the day I was born, my dad went right out to the toy store and bought me a little Holly Hobbie Ragdoll. I still have it…
Ukelele Ike: If I were in Texas, I’d be at the Rothko exhibition in a flash. When people dis this kind of work, I change the subject – but inside, I’m thinking, “Philistine.”
lee: You should respond to those emails with a few words: “I deny everything. I don’t know anything about this.” Hey, it’s accurate in reality, but it’ll be misinterpreted, so you’ll do your small part making a dent in the Painter of Dollar Sign’s empire.
And in general, regarding the topic, this is one of my Top Ten Rules for Life:
Good art doesn’t match your furniture.
My elderly aunt loves this Thomas guy (I am going to misspell his name, so I won’t even try.) I am an artist, so she has been effusive about him with me. I TRIED to like him, but - blah. I don’t really know much about him, I don’t really want to know.
I do know that he did a painting that was supposed to be of Yosemite. I wanted to see it (it was in one of his books, or calendars, or something.) I think it was of the Awhahnee Hotel (I know I’m spelling that wrong) which is nestled in Yosemite Valley, amongst some gorgeous scenery. And the Hotel is fabulous as well. But the way he painted it, it was so nondescript, like he’d never even been to Yosemite. (He probably has, but he doesn’t have the feel of Yosemite.) I am a mediocre landscape painter, but I paint Yosemite - as I see it, and because I love it. That’s what artists are supposed to do. But I doubt Thomas K. remembers knows how to feel anything when he’s painting.
I’ll stand with Silo and say that I like Thomas Kinkade, too. Beautiful stuff. I wouldn’t go out and buy his work though. Hell, I’m too cheap. I would just cut those plate ads out of magazines and put them on paper plates. I guess to a depressed, lonely person like me, his pictures are really cozy and peaceful. I wouldn’t mind living in one of those places he paints. sigh
And FTR, I adore Norman Rockwell. His work does something to me. I saw it at a young age and I see it now, that guy had talent. So what if he “marketed;” he worked for making magazine covers. Of course people would buy them! He was a commercial artist, and that’s how it is.
I’ve never stood with a Welf!
Woohoo!
;^)
I found a copy of a Kinkade Yosemite painting. It is more recent than the one (of the hotel) that I saw. I hate it. You can see it here. It has too many confusing whispy clouds, and he didn’t get Half Dome right. He didn’t get the valley part right, he didn’t get the lighting right. I’ve never seen Yosemite look like that. (And I oughta know.) He doesn’t understand Yosemite, dammit!!!
Compare his painting to one of my photos or this other photo I found (which has more “cloudage”.) These pictures show you what Yosemite from that vantage point) looks like. His looks fakey.
Well, I was just standing with you so you wouldn’t feel stupid standing by yourself…
ducks and runs
Kidding, kidding. I like his art, but then again I like a lot of art. Probably the only art I don’t like would be the stuff they try to sell now, like the “white on a white background” sort of thing, or a red dot on a yellow paper saying “Aunt Gertrude’s Zit.” Now that is stuff a 5-year old could do.
Agreed, I don’t care for his Yosemite painting, but I do like a modest amount of his other works.
Oh and Welfy :p!
Thomas Kinkade is not a "painter of light " , but it does appear that he has his head so far up his ass, that any politician would be made proud.
too funny eve! but the contents of bedpans pale in comparison to the shit that is Kincade. why don’t you paint the light that shines out of someone’s ass .
that should read “When is kinkade going to paint the light that shines out of somebody’s ass??”
In the hopes of finding something redeeming about the quality of his work, I visited Thomas Kinkade’s website.
I couldn’t find any. This is truly art that is designed to cater to the masses. After viewing this site, I felt the need to pour salt and vinegar on my monitor just to get rid of the cloying sweetness.
Robin
It’s not his paintings so much-they’re okay, and I would love to live in an idealic little cottage…but it’s just the way they’re marketed. Not so much mass printing-there’s nothing wrong with mass printing paintings. Not everyone can own a Van Gogh, so if you like one of his paintings, you can get one.
NO, it’s the whole kit and kaboodle. Someone bought a Kinkade greeting CARD today at Kmart…I resisted the urge to say, “For the love of God, WHY?”
I don’t mind Kinkade’s artwork.
Growing up with a mother who is a very decent ( not great but not sucky) artist, who adores cottage and country scenes, I’ve bought her a few of Kinkade’s calendars before he really became this huge marketing campaign. She copies his stuff pretty well, but makes the canvas more interesting by putting a sense of humor in the picture with a cow being barked at by a dog. ( Personally, I wouldn’t hang Kinkade or my Mother’s cottage pic. on the walls. But it keeps them off the streets.)
I am mystified by the sensation he is causing.
What I do mind is the " I have been given a Gift by God For Which I am Thankful every day for my superb talents" .
Great.
Why not take out a fucking bill board to thank Him/Her/Whatever.
And why not try some humility while you are at it. I would like him more if it weren’t for they way he just panders to the brainless lemming Christian mentality.
If everyone here wants to brace themselves for the next marketing wunder, it’s the Blue Dog. I forget the painter- Something Rameriz? ( Anglo Hispanic name combination, I think)
I first saw this electric blue background with an interesting dog in it when I was in Carmel about four years ago. (Next to the Kinkade Gallery)I thought, " Eh, a ten year old could have done this…"
I’ve seen this “artwork” in a few magazines and ad campaigns lately. It’s going to be huge. Mark my words.
We should stage a giant train wreck with Kinkade strapped to one locomotive and the other train full of people who buy his foul shit. We will fill both trains with paint and semtex and do high speed photography when they collide. Beauty!
I’m so glad I found this thread. I was thinking these exact thoughts the other day in seeing, once again, some of his horrible tripe.
Nasty, just nasty, retched stuff.
Now, Maxfield Parrish, there was a painter/illustrator! He’s my fave.
and now they are damaged by exposure to too much light…er, lite. I hadn’t heard of Kincade, so I visited his website. What tripe!
That Yosemite picture reminded me of the day my kitten shredded a bag of quilt batting all over my sewing room. Wayyyyyyyyy too many clouds. It gives me the creeps.
I have it on good authority that Mr. Kinkade owes his entire painting technique to a great, if underappreciated, modern painter. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you:
MR. BOB ROSS
The man was simply genius. He just knew where each “happy little tree” should live in each of his paintings. And he was FAST, too! He could whomp out a painting of at least Kinkade quality in 15 minutes flat. And with a putty knife, no less. Genius. Pure Genius.
Yet, Bob didn’t find it necessary to resort to cheap self-promotion or syrupy moralizing.
We miss you Bob!
You know, I LIKE Bob Ross, dammit! (Not being sarcastic).
Sure, the guy was cheesy and over produced. But he was teaching TECHNIQUE. And I liked his dialogue, “happy little trees”, and how he would make up little stories about his paintings as he went along. And when he’d show clips of his pet Squirrel.
So, happy painting, and God bless you, my friend.
Bob’s voice was also a great soporific. I remember watching him whilst home sick from school and his mellow voice put me right to sleep.
