SAN JOSE, Calif. — Thomas Kinkade, the “Painter of Light” and one of the most popular artists in America, died Friday at his Los Gatos, Calif., home. He was 54.
His family said in a statement that his death appeared to be from natural causes.
“Thom provided a wonderful life for his family,” his wife, Nanette, said in a statement. “We are shocked and saddened by his death.”
His paintings are hanging in an estimated one of every 20 homes in the U.S. Fans cite the warm, familiar feeling of his mass-produced works of art, while it has become fashionable for art critics to dismiss his pieces as tacky. His prints of idyllic cottages and bucolic garden gates helped establish a brand — famed for their painted highlights — not commonly seen in the art world.
“I’m a warrior for light,” Kinkade said in 2002, alluding to his technical skill.
His Media Arts Group company surged to success, taking in $32 million per quarter from 4,500 dealers across the country 10 years ago before it went private in the middle of the past decade. The cost of his paintings range from hundreds of dollars to more than $10,000.
The Placerville, Calif., native, who also leaves behind a brother and sister, was also the father of four girls and a devoted Christian.
His artistic philosophy was not to express himself through his paintings like many artists, but rather to give the masses what they wanted: warm, positive images, said Ken Raasch, a longtime friend who co-founded Kinkade’s company with him.
“I’d see a tree as being green, and he would see it as 47 different shades of green,” Raasch said. “He just saw the world in a much more detailed way than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
Kinkade became a speaker and author, with books that reached the New York Times Best Seller list. His top sellers include, “Masterworks of Light,” and “The Artist’s Guide to Sketching.”
He was involved in a charity foundation. As a philanthropist, he contributed and helped raise millions of dollars that went to nonprofit agencies such as the Salvation Army and museums.
But in 2010, the company’s Morgan Hill, Calif., manufacturing arm, Pacific Metro, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Months later, Kinkade was reportedly arrested on suspicion of DUI. In 2009, the Los Angeles Times reported the FBI was investigating whether he fraudulently induced investors and then ruined them financially.
Authorities will not have the official cause of death for at least a few days.
Friends and family on Friday began planning a private service and were weighing a public celebration.
“Art is forever,” Kinkade told CBS’ “60 Minutes” in 2007. “It goes front and center on your wall, where everyday the rest of your life you see that image. And it is shaping your children. It’s shaping your life.”
