At the time of the release of Kinkade's painting Simpler Times, he had already published two other books of his paintings. Thomas Kinkade: Painter of Light, introduced people to his work, and Thomas Kinkade: Painting of Radiant Light, touched upon the inspiration for many of his paintings, and the little tributes he has placed in them for loved ones. Simpler Times would be the cornerstone for his next book, by the same name. In it, Thom explores the philosophy of his life and paintings, offering calm and peace, in an era of chaos and pressure.
 Hometown Evening was released in 1996, and contained one of Kinkade's favorite vintage cars, a 1932 Ford Coupe. Although he often sticks to a six day work week of painting, Thom is sure to include time to pursue favored activities, including church
activities, travel with his family, research new subjects for paintings, photography, collecting and reading books (of which he has several thousand volumes), and making audio tapes for artist friends.
1997's Garden of Prayer, has been claimed to be Thomas Kinkade's most though provoking piece of work to date. This was the first of his paintings to include calla lilies which represent Easter and the resurrection. His daughter Winsor assisted in this piece and painted one of the calla lilies while perched in her father's lap. On a personal level, Thom remarked of the painting, "Perhaps in a garden we are closer to our creator. We certainly are more close to His creation. My prayer is that this painted garden will be a meeting place for many that would speak to their God in the silence of morning. Or the silence of evening. Or any time in between. In our imagination we might picture his presence at our side."
Thomas Kinkade's fourth daughter was born in June of 1997. For her first  birthday, he presented Everett's Cottage in her honor. In the dedication of the painting, he referred to family as a garden, and each child as a delicate rose within that garden, that when nurtured delicately would bloom and brighten the world. He reinforced his belief that people need to offer love and encouragement to children on a daily basis to allow them to grow to their full potential.
Thomas Kinkade's latest offering it titled "Quiet Evening." It is the first in a  three part series, based upon the poem:
A quiet evening,
A peaceful time,
A life worth living,
Because you're mine. |
Each of the paintings will be drawn from a line in the poem, to illustrate the power of love. In this painting Thom reflects on the images of associated with love - the quaint stone cottage, the passionate hues of the sunset, the gentle curve of a weeping willow that cloaks the cottage, the peaceful calm of the stream, and the soft aroma of a flower garden. With his paintbrush, Kinkade touches upon our senses, and opens our hearts.
Thomas Kinkade has received numerous awards for his talents, but possibly the greatest of all is the accolades from the legions of art lovers that have come to mean so much to him. Thom believes that an artist should strive to interpret God to man, and explain man to himself. His painting communicate to viewers, bringing nostalgia into an often complex and stressful world. "I try to create paintings that are a window for the imagination. If people look at my work and are reminded of the way things once were or perhaps the way they could be, then I've done my job."
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