California medical examiner says painter Thomas Kinkade died from alcohol, Valium overdose

[Baitball Blogger]

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — An autopsy has found that artist Thomas Kinkade's death was caused by an accidental overdose of alcohol and prescription tranquilizers.

NBC Bay Area News reported Monday ((http://bit.ly/Jsgrvg) ) that the Santa Clara County medical examiner concluded that the self-described "Painter of Light" stopped breathing at his Northern California home on April 6 from a combination of alcohol and Valium.

Before his death, the 54-year-old Kinkade produced sentimental scenes of country gardens and pastoral landscapes that he sold in a nationwide chain of galleries.

In recent years, however, he had run into personal difficulties, including a 2010 bankruptcy filing by one of his companies.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sns-ap-us-kinkade-cause-of-death,0,3675946.story

[alittlelark]

1. He died only 5 or so miles from me.

I have a desire to say bad things (especially using 'died of scholck" from another DUer!)

But I won't. I assume his soul was dark and sad, he tried to make up for it w/ those pictures.

I am actually feeling VERY sad for him right now.

[alittlelark]

2. After so many responses right when he died....

There are almost none now that we know how sad he really was.


I feel that this OP should be on fire.

[alittlelark]

3. I hated his art, but now understand it.

I have never responded to myself like this ... it's kinda cool.


His pain was expressed in rainbows and waterfalls.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. I think anyone who can draw something that can touch so many has magic in his fingers.

The fact that he could reach so many should tell you that the kind of ordinary things he drew, attracted the attention of many people who would otherwise not appreciate art.

I might have turned to look at a waterfall or Fall painting of his, but wondered the same things that everybody else did after the fifth one. Yet, we're about customers who don't have the kind of money that can afford the serious masters. This is their artist.

But what do I know? I just heard of the guy for the first time last week.

[marions ghost]

6. Check out the prices on some of his stuff...

he sold reproductions as originals for big money. It was a scam.

Then he got Chinese factories to stamp out the "affordable" art-- it's nothing but decoration on a bunch of consumer products.

This guy was all about one thing--money. And in making money he was successful, but NOT in producing art for the masses, like Norman Rockwell did. He is not in that category. Don't be fooled.

[marions ghost]

5. correction--his soul was dark and sad

and he tried to make up for it with MONEY. And as we all know, money can't buy happiness...

He painted those paintings because he knew it was what the public wanted.

[siligut]

7. I didn't actually have a problem with him , though every repub I know has one or more of his works

Too many people die from a combination of drugs and alcohol and I believe artists tend to be more sensitive to anguish than others.