The gentle sound of ocean waves slowly lapping the shore is guaranteed to ease any tension one may feel when they gather beachside with family and friends. The sight of the seagulls as they dive for fish in the surf and the sandpipers scampering in the shallow water is one more way to feel yourself relax.

Thomas Kinkade Studios® presents Beachside Gathering where on a quiet beach sits a set of Adirondack chairs carefully placed around a firepit waiting for just such a group of family and friends to arrive.

This dramatic lighthouse begins my new Seaside Memories Series – but in truth the subject of Beacon of Hope is not memory, but faith. The lighthouse which guides ships around the rocky shoals to a safe harbor is a principle emblem of the spiritual life. And I’m very proud to say that my own paintings have been described as “beacons of hope.”

So, Beacon of Hope celebrates not only the longing for salvation, but the power of art to express that aspiration. My painting – which is my first on the subject – is not a literal portrait but instead a product of my artist’s imagination containing the elements of an allegory of faith.

A small boat, barely visible on the horizon, rides heavy seas that surge and crash onto a rocky coast; the lighthouse beacon is its sole guide. The keeper’s house is a safe haven against all storms – a charming cottage nestled near a flower laden trellis. And, of course, light – radiant sunset and warm lamp glow – bathes the rocks, erasing their sharp edges.

Block Island is a study of resolute courage and dignity. The house stands alone, severe, crisp of line. It supports the proud light tower. A single antique auto stands in its fenced yard; a solitary figure, back turned to the viewer, strides toward the comfort and consolation that the house offers.

The sea has eroded the rocky coast; in centuries to come, the house itself will surely fall before the waters inexorable advance. A solitary ship sets out on its voyage to an unknowable destination, led away from danger by the stoic resident of Block Island.

I love lighthouses. The severe, uncompromising life of service led by lonely lighthouse keepers possesses a special dignity. Poised between the last outcroppings of land and the vast expanse of ocean, the lighthouse has become a profound symbol of human life – poised as it is between the transitory and the eternal.

When the sun sets, the lighthouse reveals its purpose. When darkness shrouds the water, hiding the rocks and shoals, it is then that the beacon of the lighthouse reaches out to ships at sea – warning them of danger and guiding their safe passage.

Cape Hatteras Light glories in the majestic light of sunset. The elegant simplicity of the soaring black and white tower rises dramatically against the turbulent evening sky. Soon this glorious glow in the heavens will fade, and the lighthouse will send its searching finger of light far out into the Atlantic.

The Cape Hatteras Light tower soars 225 feet into the sky – reputedly the tallest lighthouse in America – its beacon could seen by ships navigating these treacherous shores for many miles. Completed in 1870, the conical brick and stone tower has kept its vigil through innumerable storms. Through no longer in operation, Cape Hatteras Light still stands – a reminder of God’s eternal vigilance on our behalf.

Cape Hatteras Light celebrates the generosity of God’s bounty as revealed in His sunsets, and the serene strength of His loving guidance, symbolized by this handsome historic lighthouse. By night as well as by day, our path is guided by His light.

“No other holiday is more joyful than Christmas.”
~ Thomas Kinkade

Thomas Kinkade loved to visit the coast. He often painted the lighthouses he and his family would visit. To Thom, a lighthouse was seen as a harbinger of protection and hope, and cottages as a symbol of family, with golden light pouring from the cottage’s windows, reflecting the cozy comfort of the life lived within.

Christmas is a time for family and friends to come together to celebrate the season – to make merry and lavish love and gifts on each other. Christmas is also memorable and filled with diverse traditions. Home is where the season is celebrated, be it in a large city, countryside, or by the sea. Join Thomas Kinkade Studios as we celebrate a Christmas Lighthouse.

 

I believe that God speaks to His faithful in many voices – some intended for the ear, some for the eye, and all for the heart. As a painter, my role is to interpret and clarify allegorical scenes that are rich with meaning. Clearing Storms is such a symbolic scene, charged with a message of hope that can give us the fortitude to go on.

Storms – dark, brooding, terrifying – are a part of all our lives. When we’re in the grip of storm, we may feel overwhelmed, powerless, abandoned by God. The meaning of Clearing Storms is that God’s love is eternal, and because of that, the dark times always pass. The power of the waning storm is still evident in the wild and turbulent sea. But up in the sky, God’s light has touched the clouds with a myriad of colors, transforming them into harbingers of hope and overwhelming man’s feeble attempt to light the darkness with the lighthouse.

I love to paint lighthouses. To me, they represent such strength and stand steadfast against the storms. They guide us to the safety of the shore. Shore, of course, can mean many different things to us, but usually it means safety. A timid stream – which suggests to me an individual human life – makes its way to the great ocean. A gazebo provides refuge for the lighthouse keeper when storms have passed, where he can contemplate the wonder of it all in one of my favorite ways – drinking in the warmth from a cup of hot tea. Whatever your safe haven, I hope that Clearing Storms will remind you that after the dark times, light and hope will prevail.

Inspiration waits around countless surprising corners. Sometimes I even find it…on an inspirational CD! Not long ago, a friend shared spiritual music with me; on the CD cover, photos of brilliant lighting flashed. Being moved by the music, I considered the power of lighting. Once it frightened me, but that was when I was a child and the fire that ripped the sky was a fearsome mystery. Now I understand lighting to be the power of God made visible, and I take comfort in it.

In Conquering the Storms, sixth in my Seaside Memories Collection, I confront images of God’s awesome power – lighting, storm clouds, driving winds, pounding surf. Here in truth is a storm that can shake us to the core of our being. And yet, if we hold onto the rock of our faith, we can ride out any storm.

The massive octagonal lighthouse is an image of that rock – its light guides the sailboat, riding fearsome waves to a safe haven. Conquering the Storms is a parable in paint, an inspired affirmation of the great gift of faith, which allows us to accept the power of God as a source of strength.

“Courage is from God…a reward for our fortitude in facing the perils and trials of life.

Like a lighthouse beacon, it guides us home” ~ Thomas Kinkade

The moral order of God’s universe is like an exquisite tapestry – the foundational values of the good life interweave in a seamless whole. In my Life Values Collection, I explore the connections between these divinely inspired values.

Perseverance, the first painting in this series, considers life as a voyage through stormy seas – a test of faith and a demonstration of God’s sustaining love. Courage, my new painting in this series, expands on the metaphor of a sea voyage, bringing us to the moment of divine inspiration when God graces us with courage beyond the merely human – the resolve we need to overcome any obstacle.

I make full use of a vocabulary of personal artistic symbols to convey this message: God rewards our Perseverance with His gift of Courage. Our lone sailor has come within sight of a lighthouse, the beacon of divine love will guide him to shore. Smoke curls from the chimney of the keeper’s solid brick cottage, hinting at domestic comforts within. A sublime radiance breaks through the clouds, embracing the boat in its holy light.

I painted Courage at a time when I was especially grateful for God’s hand of deliverance in my life. May it remind you that courage is, truly, a gift from the Almighty.

The ocean has always affected me profoundly. Encompassed within its imposing expanse, history, challenge, and opportunity have each left their indelible mark. Throughout time, men of courage and substance defiantly faced its omnipotence with dreams of fortune and a better life – and so set sail to hope. Yet, despite its promise of fruitful ventures, the ocean is replete with challenge, mystery, and danger. Only courage and an abiding faith that tomorrow will bring a new day filled with its own destiny, steel men with courage to push through its menace.

What a powerful metaphor for life. There is a tide rooted in providence and faith that governs the affairs of men. Like the ocean, it is a tide equally predisposed to serenity as to overwhelming swells. Only through courage and faith in providence do we push ahead towards the promise of a better tomorrow, to a new dawn, to hope and opportunity. What a powerful canvas is the sea!

As I set my brush to canvas, I could not envision a better tribute to courage and hope than a lone clipper ship defiantly pushing through the ocean’s fury, against the backdrop of a clearing sky radiant with hope and light. I have always had a great respect for the clipper ship artists of the past, for whom the sea represented the only connection to a new world and promises of a new day.

Courageous Voyage is as much a tribute to a man like Montague Dawson, whose early images of the sea inspired me, as it is a message to those mired in challenge and praying for opportunity and new beginnings. I trust that this image will encourage you to face the swells of life with a profound courage secure in hope, instilled through providence and faith that tomorrow is in His hands…that the storm is clearing…that the sun is ushering in a vibrant new day…and that your Courageous Voyage has set you upon the tides of remarkable ventures.

“The tan, ochre, and umber tones of the ancient city required that I premix pools of paint and study the specific areas of architecture with a keen eye before attempting to render them”

~ Thomas Kinkade

From my many conversations with Thom, I recall his enthusiasm as he talked about Plein Air painting. In Plein Air – or open-air painting – the natural light is always changing as the sun moves across the sky and clouds can play with this natural light. Thom always traveled with a small portable studio and was ready to paint at any time.

So early in my career, Thom took the time to explain his methodology and the workings of his portable studio. I recall him explaining how challenging Plein Air painting could be with the changing light and weather. So, after reading his words above it brought to mind our old conversation and how masterfully he could capture a moment of time on canvas. Florence, River Alba is testament to Thomas Kinkade’s masterful artistic technique.

~ Denise Sanders, Thomas Kinkade Historian