Early Kinkade

Thomas Kinkade died last week. I've never been a fan of the Kinkade of sentimentality, cottages, and "light" but Joe Carter calls attention to "The Thomas Kinkade You Didn’t Know" and provides a number of examples of  that Kinkade's work.

But there is another Kinkade—the young struggling painter—that is largely unknown to both his admirers and his critics. Despite his extraordinary commercial success, Kinkade's earlier work is largely unknown to audiences familiar with his later mass market works.... [more]

On Kinkade and the media coverage of his death.

More, as of April 13, from GetReligion:

...[T]here were literally two Kinkades — the private artist and the commercial artist. ....

It seems that Kinkade’s own personal view of the world was expressed in one style, while he chose to perfect a completely different style that allowed him to connect with consumers, many of whom were attracted to his work by his vaguely spiritual approach to life (lots of unrealistic light and sentimentality, almost zero interest in human forms or traditional religious symbols and themes). ....

The Thomas Kinkade You Didn’t Know – The Gospel Coalition Blog