Cinderella Wishes Upon A Dream, fourth piece in my popular Disney Dreams Collection, has given me the chance to push the limits of my ability farther than I ever have. Hundreds of hours of detailing were required to capture a setting magical enough for a princess and her charming prince. On the towering mountain in the distance we see Cinderella’s castle, a vision inspired by the movie. Coming down from the castle road we see Cinderella’s horseman and coach, galloping towards the sleeping village below.

As Cinderella and her prince cross the stone bridge over the lover’s reflecting pool, we pause to enjoy the numerous details that make this scene so inviting. Cinderella’s many friends are here. The whimsical mice with their charming antics can be found dotted around the scene – see how many you can count! Cinderella’s other tiny helpers, the colorful birds of the kingdom have built a nest in the tree house hidden in the foliage. Flowers glow in abundance, while overhead the stars twinkle radiantly. The entire scene seems aglow with the magical blessing of the Fairy Godmother, who rides atop a splendid rainbow at the top of the painting.

The stone statue in the garden at the lower right suggests Cinderella’s years of drudgery, yet the sparking gown she wears reminds us that dreams really do come true. Lucifer the cat is busy tormenting the playful mice, while the stepmother and stepsisters look upon the sweethearts with amazement and perhaps a hint of joy. The king and his duke are fashioned as weathered chimney pots in my painting, and gaze with delight at the on goings.

I’ve put tributes to my earlier Disney Dreams Collection – Snow White, Pinocchio, and even Peter Pan and Tinker Bell can be found by a patient viewer. This is positive proof that for Cinderella’s deepest wishes to come true, she’ll need a little help from her friends!

There is nothing more delightful than the surprises of love – such as joyfully discovering a hidden love note, spontaneously being carried away on a romantic outing, or unexpectedly receiving flowers for no other reason than to express love.

In Beauty and the Beast II, Thomas Kinkade envisioned a breath-taking romantic surprise. The Beast has secretly planned a special afternoon for the one he is falling in love with: Belle, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts and Chip have all gone ahead to arrange a romantic picnic in a beautiful lakeside meadow with a majestic view of the castle and surrounding mountains. As Belle and the Beast step ashore, the possibilities of love and romance are in the air. Will Belle fall for the Beast? Will the Beast open his heart and believe he has found someone who will love him? Will the two of them be surprised by love?

Recently discovered, Beauty and the Beast II is the final Disney painting on which Thom worked. Thom’s love of this classic Disney film and his vision for moments that might have been between the Beast and Belle, are painted with a captivating wonder that remind us of when we have been surprised by love.

My Disney Dreams Collection celebrates great moments from Walt Disney Films. I call these paintings “narrative panoramas” because each painting tells the entire story of the film in one image.

For my painting Pinocchio Wishes Upon A Star we see Pinocchio upon a hillside overlooking the setting of his adventures. We see Honest John, the symbol of temptation, and in the mid-distance we see Geppetto’s workshop where Pinocchio was formed. We see Stromboli’s puppet stage with the maestro himself holding court, and the seaport village in the distance where Pinocchio first learned of Pleasure Island. On the right we see Pleasure Island aglow with the festivities of another day’s merriment and Monstro the whale preparing to engulf Geppetto’s sailing vessel. Butterflies and sparkles lend magical accents as the Blue Fairy and Jiminy Cricket look on.

My prayer is that my Disney Dreams Collection will make dreams come true for all who see these enchanted paintings.

How many children have stood at this very spot, eyes wide with wonder at their first glimpse of Sleeping Beauty Castle, since Disneyland park first opened fifty years ago? I was one. On our annual visits to grandma’s house, we never failed to make a stop at Disneyland park. I’m sure that some of my romantic ideas about architecture were formed as I wandered these fabulous grounds.

When the Disneyland 50th Anniversary gala was announced, I jumped at the chance to paint this place of golden joyous memories. I was given special permission to set up my easel on Main Street to paint a Plein Air study of Sleeping Beauty Castle, soon to be festooned with decorations, flags, and banners celebrating Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary. I couldn’t resist painting my own family, buying balloons at the lower right of the canvas, amongst the diverse crowd.

The drama of sunset in my Disneyland 50th Anniversary suggests an end of an era, while the glowing lights at the base of the castle remind us that a new age of imagination and celebration awaits.

When Nanette and I travel to England it’s as if we’re visiting an old friend with many faces, all of them friendly. Recently we were able to get away, just the two of us, to explore a corner of the isles we had never visited before: the Hampshire region in southwest England. It’s not often visited by tourists and those who do venture south, often do so via what the English call rambling – strapping on a pack, lacing up your boots, and hiking.

Nanette and I are natural born ramblers and we’ve been doing it for years, so we were delighted to get to know Hampshire this way. The region is laced with chalk-bottomed streams that overflow with plump brook trout and each bend along the river reveals another timeless village. The flint stones that create the quaint Hampshire cottages and lanes are gathered from the rocky fields that line the valleys.

In my imagination, Cobblestone Bridge is one of those delightful villages discovered on our recent rambles. The scene is filled with glowing sunsets, lamp lit warmth, and the inner yearnings of my heart.

The stately old bridge is overgrown with climbing wisteria. The thatched roofs are built up from bundles of locally grown reeds. In the world of Cobblestone Bridge, man and nature come together in a celebration of the glory of being alive. I thank God for the chance to have entered, if only for a week or two, into such scenes of perfect harmony.