Why purchase from this website or one of our two Thomas Kinkade Signature Galleries: at Colorado Seasons and/or Cherry Creek?

We strive to make certain that each of our customers are completely 100% satisfied. In addition, we operate TWO Thomas Kinkade Signature Galleries as opposed to just a Thomas Kinkade "authorized gallery." Keep in mind that only a Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery can sell ALL Thomas Kinkade artwork whereas "non-Signature galleries" may be authorized to sell Kinkade artwork, but are limited on the artwork they can sell and are typically not as educated on the product. Our staff is very knowledgeable with the product and editions. All Kinkade galleries are privately owned and operated and hence, are all run differently. You will not find another gallery which provides the stellar customer services we do:

Why not purchase on-line from Ebay or an unauthorized Kinkade Gallery? I’m sure I can get a deal!

The internet is definitely the place to find deals and since all authorized Thomas Kinkade Galleries are forbidden to sell Thom’s art at a discount, it seems like buying on-line would be a good decision. However, we strongly disagree. We cannot express how many times we have had a customer come into the gallery asking for help with an online purchase of a Kinkade piece where they were misinformed or duped altogether and obviously, our gallery will not assist in such purchases.

Examples include the customer receiving a damaged, stolen, or fraudulent piece, a paper piece instead of a canvas, a piece without the Certificate of Authenticity, or not receiving the piece at all. Unfortunately, there are many scams on-line and much of it is made overseas in China or Thailand where there are no copyright laws. Therefore, when Thomas Kinkade releases a painting, these countries reproduce these images and usually sell them online and inaccurately state the item was authorized by the Thomas Kinkade Company. FYI: all Thomas Kinkade limited edition and open edition pieces are made in the U.S.A. at Morgan Hill, California. Most importantly, any purchases from an unauthorized Kinkade gallery will not receive any of the support, service, or add-ons we give to our customers. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. So if you're going to invest in Thomas Kinkade artwork, do it right and buy from a Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery.
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Does Thomas Kinkade Limited Edition artwork really appreciate after they sell out?

All of Thomas Kinkade’s sold out limited edition canvas artworks have a history of appreciating over time. For example, Kinkade’s “Snow White” Disney canvas sold out in just six months and in one year, it has already tripled in value. With this in mind, we still recommend that collectors primarily purchase a Thomas Kinkade painting for your personal enjoyment.

You should acquire the painting for its beauty and because you love it. There are not too many things you can acquire for $1,000 and enjoy and share with their family and friends for a lifetime and then pass on to your children and your grandchildren.
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What is the best lighting to use to capture the effects in Thomas Kinkade’s artwork?

Thomas spends a lot of time adding color and detail to his artwork which make his paintings so radiant. It is the amount of color, thin layers of paint and his patience in applying the color which allows the painting to capture the light so brilliantly and is why Thom is known as “The Painter of Light™.”

The natural light in your home will create the subtle changes in your painting throughout the day as the light changes in your home. We use the lighting system in our galleries to demonstrate how lighting affects the image. Our customers can enjoy the same experience at home that they enjoyed in our galleries very easily. Any halogen spot light usually does the trick. Depending on the size of the painting, two or more spot lights will increase the effect. 60 watt Par 30 or Par 38 lights work well, but the lights recommended by the Thomas Kinkade Company are 50MR16/IR/narrow floods (sold at our Galleries for $32 each).

Probably the most important thing to consider is that the spotlights should hit the painting at an angle of AT LEAST 45 degrees, but 60 to 90 degrees is the best recommendation to prevent any glare from the lights. Our galleries have a terrific relationship with Mike Grenz who is a Kinkade collector and President of ”Allied Power Service” (303-880-3317) which is a Colorado based electrical company comprised of electricians familiar with the best lighting possibilities for your home or office. They will give our customers free appraisals, lighting consultation and a very significant discount. For those living outside of Colorado, we’ve had luck finding good service technicians from www.servicemagic.com
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What is a Master Highlighter Event?

Each limited edition canvas is hand-highlighted by a specially trained professional artist or by Thomas Kinkade himself prior to the painting being shipped to the gallery. Pieces which are hand highlighted by a Master Highlighter cost significantly less than one highlighted by Thomas Kinkade (Studio Proof and Master Editions). To add to the experience of buying the artwork, our galleries host about 8 Master Highlighting events throughout the year in which a Master Highlighter visits our galleries and enhances our customers’ paintings by adding additional oil brushstrokes and texturing while our customers watch!

Master Highlighter events give the collector the chance to interact with the Highlighter while their image is enhanced in front of them. Those who have their painting highlighted gain an even greater connection to their piece from the way the painting comes alive through the enhancements. In addition, the master highlighter encourages the collector to request where in the painting the extra highlighting is to be done, giving the collector even more appreciation for the piece and enables the collector to have an even tighter bond to the painting since it was custom highlighted to their liking.

A Master Highlighter is literally a walking encyclopedia of Thom’s artwork, and he loves to share this knowledge with collectors enabling them to learn the details and background surrounding their painting(s). Although the Master Highlighter is limited to how many paintings he can highlight at these events, our galleries guarantee a free time slot for each limited edition canvas purchased from the gallery. Only two percent of Thom’s limited edition canvas pieces have this extra highlighting added.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE PRESENT TO HAVE YOUR CANVAS HIGHLIGHTED! Having your canvas highlighted adds an additional $250 value to your canvas and is FREE to collectors who purchase from us. If you are not in the state of Colorado, simply ship your canvas to our gallery prior to a scheduled highlighting event and leave the rest up to us. We'll even pay the shipping cost to ship it back to you. Or when you purchase, simply inquire when our next Master Highlighting event will be and if you’re in no hurry, we’ll simply hold it for the next event before shipping it to you. We dare you to find another gallery which will provide such service. Don’t worry, if you miss one event, you can always attend another. Master Highlighting is available for limited edition Thomas Kinkade artwork only and it must have been purchased through this website or at one of our Colorado gallery locations, otherwise the cost is $250.
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What is a Patrick Kinkade Event?

Patrick Kinkade (Thom’s brother) grew up with Thom and they have an extremely close relationship. Pat will sometimes travel to Thomas Kinkade galleries, meet with collectors, and share stories of growing up with Thom. Like Thom, Pat is also a painter and he is considered the next best thing to Thomas Kinkade himself.

Therefore, since Pat Kinkade is in such high demand, he will hand highlight our customer’s limited edition canvas pieces which are Renaissance (R/E) or Studio (S/P) editions only, much like the Master Highlighter events (adding $250 value to the piece). However, Pat Kinkade will also draw an original pencil sketch on the reverse side of all limited edition canvas pieces purchased from either our Cherry Creek or Colorado Seasons Galleries (also adding $250 value to the piece).

In addition, Pat Kinkade will bring with him several Thomas Kinkade ORIGINAL paintings and hand drawn sketches which are sold at the event at a tremendous discount of around 75% off the market price. Our Galleries also sell original artwork from Pat's nineteen year old son, Zac Kinkade. Zac is Thomas Kinkade's only direct relative who truly has the gift to be the next Kinkade great artist and he has dedicated his life in following in the footsteps of his famous uncle. Of course, having Pat Kinkade as your father and Thomas Kinkade as your mentor has allowed Zac to grow in his skills as an artist. His original artwork is stupendous and is sold at our galleries for very affordable prices (typically under $500). There is great speculation that Zac Kinkade will become the next great heir to Thomas Kinkade and anticipating this, many Kinkade collectors are purchasing his original artwork from our galleries before he becomes published. Please call toll free 888-202-2071 regarding any interest you have in purchasing Zac Kinkade artwork.br />Back to Top

What symbols can we find in Kinkade’s art?

Thomas often pays tribute to his family in his paintings by incorporating their images or initials into the paintings. In 1990, he began the tradition of hiding the letter “N” in his paintings, in honor of his wife of 25 years, Nanette.

In the lower corner of his paintings is a number referring to the number of times the letter “N”appears in the painting. In many of his paintings, Thom includes symbolization such as four ducks representing his four daughters. Many of his paintings include Thom and his family, whether they’re in a rowboat, hailing a cab, walking along a path, or Thom riding his vintage motorcycle. In Thom’s Disney pieces, he hides Mickey Mouse ears.
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What charity work does Thomas Kinkade support?

Thomas Kinkade is extremely generous by not only donating funds but also by raising funds for various non-profit organizations focusing on children and humanitarian relief, such as: The Make-A-Wish Foundation,World Vision, Art for Children Charities, Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army, Denver’s Alzheimer’s Association and 25 volunteer national network centers.

He often donates works which have raised millions for charities such as the donation of his 2001 “Light of Freedom” painting. This image helped raise over $2 million to help the families affected by the 9/11 tragedy. In 2006, Thomas raised over $600,000 for those affected by the hurricane Katrina disaster on the gulf coast. The Thomas Kinkade Company and its galleries are also strong supporters of “Victory Junction Gang Camp” which provides life changing camping experiences for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses.
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Why does Thomas Kinkade release different Limited Editions?

Thomas Kinkade believes that people of all economic classes should be allowed to obtain his work. The different canvas editions allow collectors to spend as little as under $1000 to $40,000+ on a Limited Edition piece, depending upon how close they wish to get to an original canvas. This allows collectors to choose their price range based on what they can afford rather than just having one set price point to acquire Thom’s art.
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What is a Standard Number (S/N) Edition?

Most affordable limited edition with the highest number of editions released. Hand highlighted by a trained apprentice at the Thomas Kinkade workshop in Morgan Hill, California. Available through any authorized Thomas Kinkade Gallery. Framed Price ranges from $750 (12x16), $995 (18x27), $1680 (24x36), and $2250 (28x42).
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What is an Artist Proof (A/P) Edition?

Canvas is identical to the Standard Numbered (including hand highlighting). However, only 20% of the S/N release number are released as an Artist Proof, causing the artist proof to sell out quicker and be considered more of a collectible. For example, if 1000 Standard Number pieces were released, only 200 were released in the Artist Proof. The Artist Proof runs about $165 more than the Standard Numbered (S/N) piece regardless to the size of the canvas. Framed Price ranges from $910 (12x16), $1160 (18x27), $1840 (24x36), and $2410 (28x42).
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What is a Gallery Proof (G/P) Edition?

Canvas is identical to the Standard Numbered (including hand highlighting). Only 35% of the S/N release number are released as a Gallery Proof. Therefore, if 1000 Standard Numbered pieces were released, only 35% or 350 editions of the Gallery Proof will be released. The Gallery Proof is the same price as the artist proof.

So why do collector’s purchase a G/P over an A/P if they cost the same? The Gallery Proof is typically viewed as more of a collectible piece since it is only sold through Thomas Kinkade Signature Galleries, so it is not as widely available as the others. Most importantly however, each Gallery Proof painting is assigned its own foil stamp symbol which is located on the front of the canvas above Thom’s signature and is about the size of a dime.

The foil stamp is chosen by Thom which symbolizes the piece or is an item shown in the painting itself. For example, the foil stamp depicted on the “Spirit of NY” is an apple representing New York’s nickname, “the big apple. Gallery Proof editions are the only editions that have a foil stamp on them and often sell out the quickest.
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What is a Publishers Proof (P/P) Edition?

Canvas is identical to the Standard Numbered (including hand highlighting). Only 18% of the S/N release number are released as a Publisher Proof and a Publisher Proof may only be purchased from a Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery, making the Publisher Proof more of a collectible. Therefore, if 1000 Standard Numbered pieces were released, only 18% or 180 editions of the Publisher Proof will be released. A Pubisher Proof typically costs about $210 more than a Standard Number (S/N) Edition
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What is a Renaissance Edition (RE)?

A Renaissance Edition has a much stronger resemblance to Thom’s original painting since it is heavily highlighted and worked on meticulously by a master highlighter who uses a much more detailed and textured brushstroke process using a transparent acrylic base throughout the entire painting to help recreate the glazing process which Thom uses on his originals.

The glazing is a strong contributing factor to the illuminating effect which Thom’s paintings are known for. A Renaissance not only looks more detailed with more texture and depth added by the glazing, but the colors and details of the painting essentially “pop” more than the S/N, A/P, and G/P editions. After the glazing process is applied, it is then heavily highlighted (about three to five times more than editions lower than a Renaissance).When the master highlighter is finished, the painting is sent to Thom’s Ivy Gate studio where upon approving of the piece, Thomas Kinkade will then personally hand signs the front of the canvas which he never does on any editions lower than a Renaissance.

A special silkscreen watermark symbol is also applied to the back side of the canvas. Renaissance Editions are only sold in Signature Galleries and only 8% of the S/N release number are released as a Renaissance Edition. Therefore if 1000 Standard Numbered pieces were released, there would be only 80 Renaissance releases. Renaissance Edition framed prices are as follows: $2960 (18x27), $4810 (24x36), $6510 (28x42).
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What is a Studio Proof (S/P) Edition?

The same process (including the glazing) applied to a Renaissance Edition is used for the Studio Proof. However, after the glazing has dried, Thomas Kinkade will then personally personally highlight the piece. Whereas on a Renaissance Edition, a Master Highlighter does all the highlights, in a Studio Proof, Thomas Kinkade actually adds paint to the canvas. In addition, he will hand sign the front of the canvas in liquid gold ink. Studio Proofs are only sold through signature galleries and only 4% of the S/N release number are released as a Studio Proof. Therefore, if 1000 Standard Numbered pieces were released, there would only be 40 Studio Proofs released. So the big deal with a Studio Proof is that Thomas Kinkade himself actually applied the oils himself to your canvas. Since Studio Proofs are so special, Thomas Kinkade will never highlight a canvas at special events or such but rather reserves this for work in his studio and it is only applied to a Studio Proof or Master Edition. Studio Proof framed price ranges are as follows: $4,940 (18x27), $7,950 (24x36), $10,870 (28x42).
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What is a Master Edition (M/E)? *Available Please contact one of our galleries if interested in purchasing.

Only ONE Master Edition in the world is released and this is the closest a collector can get to the Original but for a fraction of the price of an original. In a Master Edition, the ENTIRE glazing and highlighting process is done by Thomas Kinkade himself. In other words, no Master Highlighters or anybody else touches a Master Edition but Thomas Kinkade. Thom works the entire painting with oil paint and colors and uses original brush strokes to enhance the painting and glazing process. Thom typically takes over three months to complete a Master Edition. The best way to describe a Master Edition is to say that Thomas Kinkade basically repaints the entire piece himself

When Thomas Kinkade is finished, he will put his thumb print to the back of the canvas and will hand draw an original sketch on the reverse side of the piece. He will then sign the front of the piece. A Master Edition is only available through Signature Galleries and one is released in the same sizes as the S/N. In other words, if a certain Kinkade title is released in sizes 18x27 and 24x36, there will be ONE M/E of these sizes released as well. Framed M/E prices are as follows: $16,860 (12x16 size), $18,400 (12x18 size), $21,750 (12x24 or 16x20 sizes), $24,500 (18x24, 20x24, or 18x27 sizes), $35,500 (24x30 or 18x36 sizes), $41,000 (24x36 or 25.5x34 sizes), $54,700 (28x42, 30x40, or 24x48 sizes)
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How can I purchase a Thomas Kinkade Original Painting?

Our galleries sell Thomas Kinkade original releases based on those originals Thomas Kinkade is willing to sell. Many of Thom’s originals are kept in his home, given to family or friends, or often donated to charity auctions and such. In addition, Thomas Kinkade has many original works which were never published and therefore, you will not find any images of them online. However, our galleries can acquire these pieces as well. The price for a Thomas Kinkade original is based on its popularity. For example, Thomas Kinkade’s original Disneyland 50th Anniversary has been appraised at over $1 million but this is also an extremely popular piece. A Thomas Kinkade original painting which was published will typically run around $100,000 to $400,000 depending on its popularity. On the other hand, one can save thousands of dollars by acquiring an original Kinkade which was never published. These pieces can run as low as $15,000 to $40,000. Remember that our two Thomas Kinkade Signature Galleries in Colorado offer some of the best pricing you will find on Thomas Kinkade original art work and sketches. For example, our gallery sold a 8x10 original Thomas Kinkade for just $5,000 but it was appraised at $22,000. We also sold an original sketch Thomas Kinkade did which he used to help create his “New Day at Cinderella Castle” painting for $1500 which has since appraised for $7500. If you are interested in acquiring a Thomas Kinkade original, please call 888-202-2071.
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