thomas kinkade

I cannot stand the paintings of Thomas Kinkade*. Painter of light my ass. They always seem so phoney. Like really bad photoshopping, but with paint. Really, have you ever seen a Tudor cottage with a working waterwheel in a meadow with the sun shining just so? Neither have I. Also, he looks creepy.

But. This morning, on my way to work. I saw it. I saw what good old Tom has been trying to paint for years. But it was beautiful because it was real. There was no Tudor style cottage. No ridiculous meadow or century old street with glowing gas lamps. Just pinks and oranges peeking through gray clouds and fog that hovered above the small sail, house, and motorboats docked on a small tributary of the Columbia River. The sunlight was splayed out in front of these various boats as it was reflected on the water.

Just real sunlight. Real clouds. Real fog. Real boats. And real beauty.



*If Thomas Kinkade is your favorite painter then I have two things to say to you:
1. No offense.
2. Let's go to a real art museum sometime and get you educated.