Thomas Kinkade dies at 54; 'Painter of Light' worked to project 'serene simplicity'

Thomas Kinkade, the self-styled "Painter of Light" who died Friday at 54, once said he worked to "create images that project a serene simplicity." But despite his astonishing commercial success with luminous seascapes and paintings of cottages and street scenes, Kinkade's life in many ways was neither serene nor simple.

By Kim Christensen, Los Angeles Times

April 8, 2012