RIP: Thomas Kinkade

[Empath]

The news is disheartening.

If indeed "he was reviled by the art establishment", then my level of sophistication must be sorely lacking. I truly appreciated his works, and regarded his skills highly.

 

[BVH]

Yes, very sad indeed. I have a few small works of his and enjoy walking thru galleries with his work. RIP

 

[Quest4fire]

It has often been said "I don't know art, but I know what I like". I really like his work. It's impossible for me to meditate on one of his paintings without feeling uplifted.

 

[Vesper]

Fairly young, had a wife and 4 daughters. Sad. He was reviled by the "art community" mainly for his success.

 

[Wrend]

I wouldn't say success as much as catering to what people like, perhaps including himself. I of course also very much like the works of art he did. Art isn't always about making a controversial statement, or doing something significantly different from everything else.

The easiest way for me to describe his work is to call it warmth, or perhaps the way home.

 

[JohnR66]

Contents removed. Derogatory posts in the "RIP" threads honoring the deceased are off-topic and discouraged. Such comments, if they must be expressed, should be made somewhere other than this thread. - Empath

 

[PhotonWrangler]

I've always liked his works. Sad to see him pass so young. RIP.

 

[Monocrom]

I've always liked his works. Sad to see him pass so young. RIP.

Me too. I bought his calenders every year for my mom. She loves the beautiful artwork. No clue how someone only 54 could die of natural causes. Very sad to hear this. R.I.P.

 

[kaichu dento]

The news is disheartening.

If indeed "he was reviled by the art establishment", then my level of sophistication must be sorely lacking. I truly appreciated his works, and regarded his skills highly.

I have no idea how many looked down upon his magical interpretations, but I assume it was primarily those who despise all success because of their own snobbery.

Always loved the way his paintings breathed with life and I wish I could take pictures in the same manner.

 

[Cyclops942]

Me too. I bought his calenders every year for my mom. She loves the beautiful artwork.

I have several of his pieces (reproductions, obviously) in my home, too. My wife and I both like his work, and we also bought the calendars year after year.

No clue how someone only 54 could die of natural causes. Very sad to hear this. R.I.P.

My Dad had a heart attack at age 53, and had my Mom not gotten to him to the hospital in time, he would have died then. It would have been ruled as death of natural causes because he had heart disease (atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis, I can never keep those two straight). Death by disease is the same as death by natural causes; it wasn't death by misadventure (accidental injury), and it wasn't intentional, like murder or suicide. Those are your three basic categories: intentional, accidental, and holy-crow-the-body-quit-working.

 

[Monocrom]

Thanks for the explanation. I didn't realize that such a way to go fell under the heading of Natural Causes.

 

[Ken_McE]

No clue how someone only 54 could die of natural causes.

We are not actually designed to work reliably for half a century. They think our ancestors were designed for 30 or so.

 

[StarHalo]

Mr. Kinkade struggled with alcoholism for many years, and according to his brother, suffered a relapse shortly before his death.

 

[Monocrom]

We are not actually designed to work reliably for half a century. They think our ancestors were designed for 30 or so.

I've known individuals who could still function properly while pushing 80.

I've known individuals in their early '20s who couldn't peel a grape if their lives depended on it.

 

[Monocrom]

Mr. Kinkade struggled with alcoholism for many years, and according to his brother, suffered a relapse shortly before his death.

That's truly unfortunate.