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Mountain Memories
As a “mountain kid” who grew up in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains, I have a special fondness for the quality of mountain living – its simplicity, self-reliance, sense of union with nature, and gratitude for God’s gifts.
Nestled between dramatic peaks rests Gatlinburg, Tennessee, gateway to the Great Smokey Mountains and a perfect mountain community that touches my boyhood Mountain Memories. I’ve decided to honor the town’s celebration of its bicentennial by featuring a romanticized vision of its present, as well as honoring its rustic past in my limited edition portrait of the town – Mountain Memories.
Mountain Memories is rich with the color and energy of modern Gatlinburg, but I couldn’t resist adding vintage cars – including a classic T-Bird – and horse-drawn carriage. The past is never far from the surface here.
- Thomas Kinkade has incorporated seventeen N’s in Mountain Memories as tribute to his love for his wife Nanette.
- The street depicted in Mountain Memories is the Great Smokey Mountains Parkway. Running over twenty-three miles from Sevierville, Tennessee to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, the Parkway passes through beloved mountain towns of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
- Make note of the license plate on the ’56 T-Bird in the right of Mountain Memories. The numbers “N5282” represent the day Thom and Nanette joined their lives in holy matrimony – May 2,1982. This is an actual car Thom spotted when he went to pickup his daughters from gymnastics practice. The owner actually backed it out of the garage and posed the car for him!
- Thom’s dog Brilla, has made a special appearance on the left side of Mountain Memories.
- The original Gatlinburg candy store, Aunt Mahalia’s Candies, can be seen on the right of Mountain Memories. This gourmet shop was established in 1939 and still makes their delicious candies the old fashioned way in a glass enclosed kitchen.
- Thom has included the state dog of Tennessee into his image Mountain Memories, the Bluetick Coonhound. Can you find her?
- In Mountain Memories, Thom honors Gatlinburg’s celebration of its bicentennial. It features a romanticized version of its present and honors its rustic past. Although rich with the color and energy of modern Gatlinburg, it also emphasizes vintage cars and a horse-drawn carriage, representative of 1807 when Gatlinburg was formed as White Oak Flats.
| Title | Mountain Memories |
| Published | February 2008 |
| Subject Location | Great Smokey Mountains Parkway in Gatlinburg, Tennessee |
Image Sizes
24" x 36"
28" x 42"
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