1958 – 2012  In the very beginning of his artistic career, Thomas Kinkade put his entire life savings into the printing of his first lithograph. Though at the time he was already an acclaimed illustrator, Thom found that he was inspired not by fame and fortune, but by the simple act of painting straight from the heart, putting on canvas the natural wonders and images that moved him most.

Throughout his life Thomas Kinkade shared his joy and used his paints in support of hospitals, schools, and humanitarian relief. Though the recipient of countless awards and honors, it was Thom’s profound sense of purpose that his art was not just an accessory, but also a ministry, that continues on as his legacy. From custom images that were sold for The Salvation Army, Hurricane Katrina relief, Rotary International, to donations that now grace the halls of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, the White House, The Vatican, and Britain’s Tate Museum, Thom raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over his lifetime for charity.

Thom’s dearest wish had always been that his artwork would be a messenger of hope and inspiration to others – a message to slow down, appreciate the little details in life, and to look for beauty in the world around us. As millions of collectors around the world sit back and enjoy his artwork in their homes, there is no doubt that Thomas Kinkade had indeed achieved his goal of Sharing the Light.

Dirk’s interest in drawing Disney characters came at an early age. He was eight years old when Disneyland opened in 1955. Dirk became inspired by the art and sent Walt Disney Studios what he thought were fabulous drawings of their characters.

In the early 80’s, Dirk began to design advertising layouts and catalogs for Disney’s non-theatrical film rental division. That opportunity would lead to work on the launch of The Disney Channel. There Dirk created an image of Mickey from ‘Fantasia’ that showed Mickey pointing up to the channel’s logo. This artwork would soon be used on posters, ads and brochures.

After freelancing for some time, Dirk met Thomas Kinkade who saw real talent and took him under his wing. Through several years of working under Thom’s direction, perfecting his techniques and styles, Dirk became a Thomas Kinkade Studios Legacy Artist.

One of Dirk’s most memorable moments with Thom was accompanying him and his wife at Disney World for its Thirty-Fifth Anniversary to unveil” A New Day at the Cinderella Castle”. As the three made their way down Main Street in a vintage car, they were greeted by hundreds of Disney collectors.

Monte Moore has been a professional illustrator for nearly 30  years for dozens of top-tier companies and properties having worked on book covers, video games, movie posters, card games and comic books. Along with having 8 books published exclusively featuring his commercial artwork in the pop-culture industries Monte has won the World Fantasy Art show twice for Best Black and White work and has been a guest of honor artist at conventions and art shows around the world including Italy, Scotland, Belgium and Germany and 2001 Guest of Honor at the San Diego Comic-Con International.  

Monte’s list of clients that he has created licensed artwork for include: DC Comics, Marvel Entertainment, Image Comics, IDW, Wizards of the Coast,  Jose Cuervo, Lucasfilm Ltd., Hard Rock Cafe, The U.S. Marine Corps, Coors, Harley-Davidson, The Boy Scouts of America and many others.  Recent projects for Monte have included cover art for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100 and Transformers vs. The Terminator #1 and recently People’s Choice Award Winner in 2019 Western Art Rodeo Association World Finals. 

Zachary Thomas Kinkade, Thomas Kinkade’s nephew, was born in 1991 and has been passionate about art his entire life. At the age of 11, Zachary began entering and winning national and regional art competitions and shows and has since gained regional, national international recognition for his work as well. As a teenager, Zac attended the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Art in preparation of formal university training the arts. During this time, Zac began apprenticing at the Thomas Kinkade Studios to explore his own aesthetic vision. Zac continued this relationship while attending Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he eventually graduated with honors from that academy’s prestigious school of art and architecture. Following in his uncle’s footsteps and in service of his own life as an artist, Zac attended the internationally known Art Center School of Design in Pasadena California. Zac has taken a position as a publishing artist for Art Brand Studios and is rapidly starting his own legacy with pencil and brush.

An award-winning painter and former Art Gallery owner, Scott Smith received his formal art education at the American Academy of Art in Chicago and has established himself as both a talented artist and a trusted product development expert in the fine art community.

Scott was elected to the Advisory Board of the American Academy of Art in 1995, and in 2005 to the steering committee of this prestigious institution. Throughout Scott’s illustrious career as a fine artist he has been featured in high-profile art events and installations, has won numerous awards, and has been invited to judge many fine art shows.

As a Creative Director and Product Development Professional, Scott has designed many top-selling products and has worked with numerous nationally known artists and licenses, including Thomas Kinkade. Reflecting on his work with Thomas Kinkade, Scott has shared, “I could see the genius in Thom during our brainstorming sessions. His mind worked quickly, coming up with many very successful ideas. He was always about seven steps ahead of everybody else in the room.”

After working with the Thomas Kinkade brand for over 20 years, developing many successful programs, Scott was honored to accept a role as a Thomas Kinkade Studios Artist. This opportunity enables him to utilize his fine art talents and carry on Thomas Kinkade’s legacy of making the world a better place through uplifting art.

Dr. Patrick Kinkade, brother of Thomas Kinkade, received his Bachelor degrees from the University of California, Berkeley in Psychology and Anthropology, his Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the California State University at Los Angeles, and his PhD in Social Ecology and Research Methodology at the University of California at Irvine. He is currently a full professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas.

Since 1995, Pat has been an integral part of the Thomas Kinkade Studios. His personal passion is writing travel and children’s books of which he has published four- all under the Thomas Kinkade Studios brand. One of the most popular books, Chasing the Horizon, was co-authored with his brother, Thom. Most recently, Pat serves as a Thomas Kinkade Studios Studio Artist, working with Thomas Kinkade Galleries and their collectors in the very popular Generations Tour, where he acts as an ambassador for his brother’s message of hope, joy and inspiration through art.

Jessica Koon is an aspiring graphic designer who graduated from San Jose State University. She has an artistic and thoughtful personality that leads her to explore different areas in art. She has loved art since her childhood and was fascinated by how some arts and designs can embed deep messages into people’s minds and last for decades. As a production design coordinator at Thomas Kinkade Studios, she was introduced to traditional oil painting and immersed in the details and meanings of the different paintings by artists. 

In her free time, Jessica enjoys taking photos and exploring the natural beauty and historical charms of her community with photography. Besides photography, she also loves discovering new food and places and finding inspirations for her designs through observations and exploration.

As an active learner with a strong passion in art, Jessica joined multiple art contests where she participated in creating websites and rebranding companies. In the Adobe Creative Jam Contest with Twitch, she won the honorable mention award with her team.

Samantha grew up in the Midwest in a small town on the Mississippi River. She was raised in a home where design, creativity, and imagination were in the forefront. Her mother and greatest inspiration was a licensed Polymer Clay Artist who spent most days creating sculptures for work and pleasure. She taught her children how to put their ideas into action. Samantha spent the beginning of her life creating alongside her mother while their favorite Disney movies would play in the background.

Samantha chose to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design with an emphasis in drawing. As Samantha’s college education progressed, she found a passion for hyper realistic drawings. While in school, her relationship with her mother served as her focus when creating, even through the grief of losing her to illness.

 After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, she built up an impressive portfolio of clients. Samantha has always dreamed of pursuing a career where she gets to be creative and imaginative, and feels fortunate to work with Thomas Kinkade Studios, a studio that fosters the talents of its members.

 During her free time when she creates, designs, or draws you’ll find her happy, comfortable and busy with a Disney movie playing in the background and a photo of her mother beside her on her desk.

Brian Rood is a professional illustrator in the entertainment industry, most known for his photo-realistic watercolor and mixed media paintings from the Star Wars™ saga. He has spent the better part of the last two decades working primarily in a galaxy far, far away…

His work for the Star Wars™ franchise can be found on everything from fine art reproductions to illustrated storybooks for Lucasfilm and Disney publishing. He has spent the last seven years creating  over 1000 new illustrations for the most extensive storybook retelling of the Star Wars™ trilogies to date. His Lucasfilm and Disney publishing projects can be found in bookstores worldwide, and his work has also been used in a special Star Wars™ anniversary edition of Time Magazine.

Brian’s artwork has been commissioned and used by nearly every major licensor of Star Wars™ merchandise. He also assists in creating new artwork for Lucasfilm’s style guides.

Brian’s fine art reproductions for Disney, Marvel, and Lucasfilm have been a staple throughout the Disney Parks for the past decade. He enjoys meeting collectors at special events at Walt Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Ships.

Brian Rood’s original paintings are in private collections worldwide. When he’s not busy creating new artwork, he spends time with his wife and two children in Southern Michigan.