Thomas Kinkade was born in 1958 and grew up in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains in the small town of Placerville, California. From the age of four, his calling as an artist was evident. When Kinkade was five years old, his parents divorced. Placerville was an isolated town living a simpler life. A child living in a single-parent family was a rarity at the time. He recalls it as being a time of embarrassment, shame and poverty. The one thing he had from an early age, something the other children didn't have, though, was his art. "I was always the kid who could draw," he says. "I had this talent, and it was the one thing that gave me some kind of dignity in the midst of my personal environment, because growing up, I was very impoverished." By the age of 16, Thomas Kinkade was an accomplished painter in oil under the apprenticeship of the well-known artist Glen Wessels. 

Thomas Kinkade, the celebrated "Painter of Light"  is now one of the most widely collected and beloved artists of our day. Each year millions of people are drawn to the luminous light and tranquil mood of Kinkade's paintings and include his creations in their lives through prints, books, and other fine collectibles. Each painting that Thomas Kinkade creates is a quiet messenger in the home, affirming the basic values of family, faith in God, and the luminous beauty of nature.

An inspired idealist, Thomas Kinkade believes art has the power to touch people's hearts and change their lives. A devout Christian, Kinkade's artwork is an outgrowth of his deep faith in God, which he believes to be the foundation of his work and credits the Lord for both the ability and the inspiration to create his paintings. "In my paintings I try to create worlds of tranquility, joy, and beauty." Thomas Kinkade's paintings have become visions of hope and comfort, a welcome haven from the pressures of modern life. His complex technique bears great kinship to a little known group of nineteenth century American painters known as the Luminists. As Kinkade puts it, "Like the Luminists, I strive for three visual aspects in my work: soft edges, a warm palette, and an overall sense of light."

In any Kinkade painting, he frequently pays loving tribute to his wife and daughters by hiding their names or initials within his paintings, a phenomenon eagerly watched by seasoned collectors. Those who look closely, for example, may be able to make out the initial N for Kinkade's childhood sweetheart and wife, Nannette, which he works into all his paintings. 

Thomas Kinkade maintains a rigorous six day a week painting schedule, but still finds time for church activities, reading and extensive travel with his family in America and abroad, researching new subjects by painting and photographing on location. He is also extremely generous, often using his art talents to create special commemorative prints, raising tens of thousands of dollars for charitable causes. Kinkade also frequently speaks to civic, school and church groups in California and is currently the national spokesman for the Make-A-Wish foundation.

The Thomas Kinkade foundation serves and supports non-profit organizations focusing on children humanitarian relief and the arts. 

A devoted husband and father, Thomas Kinkade lives in Northern California with his wife, Nanette, and their four daughters: Merrit, Chandler, Winsor and Everett.