“Beauty is found in anything that delights the senses, nourishes the soul, fires the imagination.”
― Thomas Kinkade
― Thomas Kinkade
"What I paint touches on foundational life values. Home, family, peacefulness. And one of the messages I try to constantly get across is slow it down and enjoy every moment." - Thomas Kinkade
One of my favorite artists was Thomas Kinkade, who recently passed away from natural causes. He was 54 years old. I have tried to pinpoint what it was about his art that appealed so much to me. As a young girl I tried my hand at painting via a "paint-by-number" set of pictures that looked similar to two Thomas Kinkade paintings (they are proudly displayed above my bed in my bedroom). My "paint-by-number" pictures turned out pretty well for an amateur, but took A LOT of time and patience. It was easy to "color in the lines" of those pictures and make them turn out well; but, doing one by scratch would have been a whole different story for me. I am in awe of those who possess this talent. Unfortunately, I do not possess this artistic talent. I do, however, possess an appreciation for brilliant artwork. Thomas Kinkade's work falls into that category for me. He was a brilliant and talented artist, in spite of what some of his critic thought. He appealed to the masses, who knew what they liked - and they liked Thomas Kinkade.
"The concept that an artist would be revered by popular culture is an immediate dismissal of his relevance as an artist." - Thomas Kinkade
We used to have one of his galleries in our small resort town. One of the things that my husband and I did for our 15th wedding anniversary was to take a peek inside of his gallery. Thomas Kinkade described it like this: "Our galleries are soft (Thomas Kinkade galleries). You don't echo when you walk in. It's comfortable. There's a fireplace burning. There's a person sitting here who's not an art expert. We don't hire art experts. We hire people who love art and love people. And when you walk in, you're greeted, and the experience is entirely different." That was exactly what we found when we entered the doors of the gallery. It was like stepping into another world, set apart from the world, a warm and welcoming "homey" environment. It was such a joy for me to be able to view the various prints and imagine what it would be like for me to actually own one. It is easy to imagine yourself getting lost in one of his paintings because, as he said, "Everyone can identify with a fragrant garden, with the beauty of sunset, with the quiet of nature, with a warm and cozy cottage."
Art and "The Arts" enrich our lives. This is why we need to be certain that they continue to be an important part of our culture. The Arts are what brings joy and variety to our often dull and uninteresting daily lives. I was blessed to grow up in a home where my mother and father valued The Arts. Growing up we listened to a variety of music in our home, including classical and jazz. As my sister and I got older, my mother took us to the theater, to the ballet, to the symphony and, yes, I even attended an opera (even if I didn't stay through the entire preformance). Mother encouraged me to explore and develop my talents in The Arts. As a result, I learned to play the piano and to sing in choirs. I participated in the Summer Drama Program that was sponsored by the local Recreation Program. I also participated in plays and various other theatrical endeavors throughout my High School experience. I even had the priviledge of writing and directing a play for the same Summer Drama Program after I graduated from High School. As a result of growing up in this environment I have a great appreciation for good music, beautiful artwork, good literature, dance and theater. I love to view a good concert or ballet. I enjoy walking through art galleries and seeing the paintings and sculptures on display there; but probably my favorite venue is the theater. There is nothing like the live theater to stir the imagination and transport you to another time and place, a snapshot in time. One of the final events that my Mother and I attended together was a performance of "The Phantom of the Opera" in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is a memory that I will never forget.
Unfortunately, I haven't had the resources to expose my own children to the same things that I was blessed to be able to experience. I have tried, as much as possible, to share with them my love of music and musical theater via recordings, videos and CD's. We have tried exposing them to art and art galleries, but the lack of interest on their part limited us in our desire to push them into attending them. I do, however, have beautiful artwork displayed around my home, in hopes that they will appreciate what "real art" is. I have been able to take my daughters to see a ballet production of "The Nutcracker" and they enjoyed it. All of my children have, at one time, played musical instruments and have an appreciation for the hard work, skills and talent it takes to play an instrument well.
I am very grateful for the blessing of having the arts in my life. They have enriched my life in many ways by bringing their beauty and inspiration into it. It has truly nourished my soul. I have attempted to share a bit of my appreciation for the arts with you via my blog. I hope you will take a few minutes to click on the link below and enjoy a musical and visual "enriching escape". I hope you enjoy it!
BE SURE TO VIEW THIS IN FULL SCREEN ON YOUR MONITOR FOR FULL IMPACT.
Vincent (Don McLean)
http://youtu.be/tNdYLGAxcWA
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