I try to embrace people with love, unconditional love, like Christ did.
— Thomas Kinkade
This world is very dark, but in Heaven there is no darkness.
I've never been at odds with the world of contemporary artists. If there is any animosity, it's one-sided.
The disintegration of the culture starts with the artist. I'm on a crusade to turn the tide in the arts, to restore dignity to the arts and, by extension, to the culture.
I grew up in a broken home. My dad was out of the home when I was five years old. I never knew him very well.
I love audio books, and when I paint I'm always listening to a book. I find that my imagination really takes flight in the painting process when I'm listening to audio books.
Every painting I do blends time frames. The great thing about being an artist is I can make the past join the present in some reality of the future.
You have to expect spiritual warfare whenever you stand up for righteousness or call attention to basic values. It's just a matter of light battling the darkness. But the light wins every time. You can't throw enough darkness on light to put it out.
Each of us is a small part of God's plan. I'm a small part. I create paintings that are being used by God.
I share something in common with Norman Rockwell and, for that matter, with Walt Disney, in that I really like to make people happy.
I view art as an inspirational tool.
Everyone can identify with a fragrant garden, with beauty of sunset, with the quiet of nature, with a warm and cozy cottage.
The concept that an artist would be revered by popular culture is an immediate dismissal of his relevance as an artist.
Rather than set aside daily time for prayer, I pray constantly and spontaneously about everything I encounter on a daily basis. When someone shares something with me, I'll often simply say, 'let's pray about this right now.'
A piece of art is a compact form of the universe.
My whole life was absorbed with my art. I was known by my schoolmates as the kid who could draw.
I've had so much positive reaction and emotional fulfillment from the creation of my art and sharing it with everyday people that I never paid too much attention to the opinion of critics.
The whole Modernist lie is that art is about the artist.
A painting has a lot of advantages over other forms of communication. Unlike a movie, you don't have to put it into a machine and turn it on. It's just there every day. It's not limited by the element of time. It's a constant part of the home.
A still image attracts the viewer with an overall impact, then reveals smaller details upon further study.
Art is forever.
I've always been drawn to artists who paint for the everyday person. I love the American illustrators.
I was always the kid who could draw. I had this talent, and it was the one thing that gave me some kind of dignity in the midst of my personal environment.
People are reminded that it's not all ugliness in the world.
With whatever talent and resources I have, I'm trying to bring light to penetrate the darkness many people feel.
When I got saved, God became my art agent.
I think the art world... is a very small pond, and it's a very inbred pond. They rely on information from an elect elite sect of galleries, primarily in New York.
The worlds I paint leave a lot to engage the imagination by hinting at what lies beyond the four edges of the painting. I think getting beyond the four edges of an opportunity or challenge is one of the basic skills you need in business.
Art transcends cultural boundaries.
High culture is paranoid about sentiment. But human beings are intensely sentimental.
The No. 1 quote critics give me is, 'Thom, your work is irrelevant.' Now, that's a fascinating, fascinating comment. Yes, irrelevant to the little subculture, this microculture, of modern art. But here's the point: My art is relevant because it's relevant to 10 million people. That makes me the most relevant artist in this culture.
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.'
Literature is the stringing together of pictures in words.
My paintings always feature trails that dissolve into mysterious areas, patches of light that lead the eye around corners, pathways, open gates, etc.
I began my career creating art for an animated feature film, and it has been a life-long dream to tell some of the story of my own life - the story behind my art - through the medium of motion pictures.
My brother and I always had jobs and worked from a young age.
I remember my mom had a big collection of copies of Saturday Evening Post magazines, and that was really my introduction to those great illustrators.
People who put my paintings on their walls are putting their values on their walls: faith, family, home, a simpler way of living, the beauty of nature, quiet, tranquillity, peace, joy, hope. They beckon you into this world that provides an alternative to your nightly news broadcast.
I'm a warrior for light.
I'm working on a snow scene right now, and it's summer. It's hot, and I will get chilly. I'll have to turn on the heat. My wife walks in, and it's 95 degrees in the studio. I know it's nutty, but it's a projection you have where you step into the painting.
Balance, peace, and joy are the fruit of a successful life. It starts with recognizing your talents and finding ways to serve others by using them.
It is easy to have a lot of paintings or projects hanging around that are 'almost done.'
