Thomas Kinkade, born William Thomas Kinkade III, was an American painter best known for his idyllic subject matter and use of mass marketing to sell paintings and prints. Though he is broadly unsupported by contemporary art critics who deride his work as sentimental, Kinkade appealed to a broader audience with his quaint subject matter and Impressionist-like style. Influenced by painters of the sublime like Turner, his canvases contain warm colors and a fascination with light. Born on January 19, 1958 in Sacramento, CA, he studied painting at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. His oil paintings on canvas depict glowing cottages, gazebos, snow, and street scenes painted in saturated pastel colors. His work also often focused on Christian imagery, such as crosses and churches. "It's not the world we live in," Kinkade said, describing the world of his art. "It's the world we wished we live in. People wish they could find that stream, that cabin in the woods.” Among his most famous series is the Christmas Cottage, which inspired a 2008 feature film. The artist died on April 6, 2012 in Monte Sereno, CA at the age of 54 after suffering from alcoholism.