ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE, PART II

I just wanted to say thank you to those of you who bid on the signed Limited Edition of NASCAR THUNDER that was recently put up for auction on eBay in support of the Victory Junction Gang Camp. This unique canvas closed for an astounding $10,700, all of which goes to benefit the incredibly deserving kids who visit Victory Junction Gang Camp. Thank you for supporting this organization, and thank you for sharing the light. I am deeply honored by your support of such a worthy cause. God bless.

THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE

At long last, my first-ever movie Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage is about to be released on DVD this holiday season. It was an honor to work with such illustrious and talented folks in the film industry, like Michael Campus, who directed the film, Peter O'Toole, Marcia Gay Harden, and Jared Padalecki, as well as all the many amazing folks at Lions Gate Films. I hope you'll enjoy this snapshot into the world of a young, aspiring artist seeking meaning and purpose - and a source of "light" - told through a tale of Christmas in my hometown of Placerville. After all "Love is the brightest light of all."

A FEW SNAPSHOTS FROM OUR TRIP, PART IV

The detail at left shows a portion of the watercolor I painted in the town of Tavel, known best as the cradle of French rosé wine. It was classic Provence with timeworn stone villas and miles of grape vines soaking up the sun.


One of our final stops was in Aix en Provence. I set up my paints just as the world-famous flower market in the Place de l'Hôtel was being packed up for the day. Known as the “City of Fountains”, this village, originally founded by the Romans in 122 BC, Aix (pronounced like the English word “aches”) is now the home of many art schools and universities.

I bicycled ahead of the group in order to get extra time in the village, so I had just about an hour to paint. A wedding was about to take place in the old church. I commandeered a trash can to hold my palette, and unfolded my trusty travel pack of watercolors and my little folding water bucket. The end result captured the flower market and the old church.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about the highlights of our trip. I’m looking forward to sharing my complete set of watercolors with you all later this year.

A FEW SNAPSHOTS FROM OUR TRIP, PART III

From Arles, we moved on to Les Baux-de-Provence, an ancient village perched atop a rocky outcropping in the Alpilles mountains – and I do mean ancient, as in, 8,000 years. Traces of human habitation at this location date back to 6,000 B.C. The surviving structures and ruined castle were built during the medieval heyday of Les Baux, giving a timeless quality to the experience. I sat on the ground and painted the little stone chapel in under an hour - the panoramic view of the valley off to my left from where I sat was breathtaking – see for yourself and click on Virtual Tour.

We also visited a portion of the Roman aqueduct known as Le Pont du Gard – another site of ancient activity. There are many caves nearby that contain evidence of human occupation dating back over 20,000 years. The aqueduct was built for the sole purpose of supplying water to the city of Nimes, one of the great cities in Gaul when it was colonized by Rome in 45 B.C. Now a World Heritage Site, the Pont du Gard is an engineering marvel that traverses over 50 km of terrain but descends only 12 metres the entire distance. All of this built over 20 centuries ago – truly a mind-boggling feat of engineering for its day. I only had 15 minutes with which to quickly sketch this location, but I was pleased with the end result.

Shown left is the village of Avignon, where I painted the great Roman bridge that once connected the city to the mainland across the Rhone river. The city of Avignon became the center for the Roman church – a palace was built there that was occupied by several of the popes during the 14th and 15th centuries. The scene I chose to paint includes the Roman bridge known as Pont St-Bénezet that orignally spanned the Rhône river in the 11th century. Local legend has it that a shepherd boy, Bénezet, was commanded by angels to build a bridge across the river. Ridiculed by his neighbors, he won their support by miraculously hefting a giant block of stone and the bridge was completed. After his death, he was laid to rest in a small chapel that still stands today on one of the surviving piers on the Avignon side. Despite the loss of much of the original structure, the bridge remains a beloved local fixture.

Nanette and I were in awe of the incredible history, antiquities and romance of this region. It is no wonder so many artists of all genres have been inspired to create while visiting the south of France.

ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE

When I first began working with the folks at NASCAR to discuss the opportunity of a commemorative release featuring the 50th anniversary of the DAYTONA 500, they introduced me to a very special organization called the Victory Junction Gang Camp. One of the "Hole in the Wall Gang" camps originally founded by Paul Newman, this wonderful organization provides a true "summer camp" experience to kids who would otherwise know little beyond their sterile rooms and hospital beds. Read more about the camp on their website, but also know that #50 of my commemorative release NASCAR THUNDER is currently up for auction on eBay - 100% of the sale price will go to benefit the camp.

This Limited Edition canvas has been signed by a number of NASCAR greats - Ryan Newman, Kyle Petty, Richard Petty, not to mention Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Bill Elliott, Kurt Busch, Terry Labonte, Matt Kenseth, and Bobby Labonte Dale Earnhardt Jr., Sam Hornish Jr., Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Michael Waltrip, Paul Menard, A.J. Allmendinger, Brian Vickers, David Regan, Elliott Sadler, Reed Sorenson, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Michael McDowell, J.J. Yeley, Patrick Carpentier, Greg Biffle, Juan Pablo Montoya, Regan Smith, Kasey Kahne.

Click here to check out the auction. Bidding continues until August 10. Don't miss out on a great opportunity to get a unique, one-of-a-kind Limited Edition canvas and help out a bunch of really deserving kids. Tell your friends.