Billion Dollar Painter

The unbelievable true story of artist Thomas Kinkade, self-described “Painter of Light,” and the dramatic rise – and fall – of his billion-dollar gallery and licensing business. He was just one man, but Thomas Kinkade ultimately made more money from his art than every other artist in the history of the world combined. His sentimental paintings of babbling brooks, rural churches surrounded by brilliant fall foliage, and idyllic countryside cottages were so popular in the 1990s that one out of every twenty homes in America owned one of his prints. With the help of two partners, a former vacuum salesman and an ambitious junior accountant who fancied himself a businessman, Kinkade turned his art into a billion-dollar gallery and licensing business that traded on the NYSE before it collapsed in 2006 amid fraud accusations. One part a fascinating business story about the rise, and demise, of a financial empire born out of divine inspiration, one part a dramatic biography, Billion Dollar Painter is the account of three nobodies who made it big. One of them was a man who, despite being a devout Christian that believed his artwork was a spiritual force that could cure the sick and comfort the poor in spirit, could not save his art empire, or himself. G. Eric Kuskey, former colleague of Thomas Kinkade and close friend until the artist's death in 2012, tells Kinkade's story for the first time—from his art's humble beginnings on a sidewalk in Carmel, California, to his five-house compound in Monte Sereno. This is a tale of addiction and grief, of losing control, and ultimately, of the price of our dreams.

The Billion Dollar Art Gallery will change the way you think about art. When you live with five hundred of the finest paintings in history, you will want to learn more about them. You will discover new ideas in each painting and new relationships between the paintings. You will want to know more about the artists, and you will find new joy in visiting museums. We can say this because it has been our experience in assembling this collection, and we have seen how our friends have responded to it. This companion book helps to identify the paintings, and you can also refer to your smart phone or, on many televisions, to the remote control to produce the name of the painting, the name of the painter, the year it was painted, and the museum where you can view the original painting. Your big screen TV will become an art gallery with many of the most beloved, famous and culturally important paintings in history. We call it the "Billion Dollar Art Gallery" because, even if you could buy these paintings, the collection would cost billions of dollars. The BillionDollarArtGallery will transfix you and your friends with the breadth and beauty of the paintings. You may have seen these paintings in books, but, when you see them on a large screen, you will see detail that you have never seen before. The BillionDollarArtGallery is a fine gift because, while a bottle of wine may be quickly forgotten, the BillionDollarArtGallery will enthrall art lovers and change the lives of those who may have never had an interest in art. The BillionDollarArtGallery is a unique experience to share with your friends. The BillionDollarArtGallery contains many of the paintings you would expect - the Renoirs, the Constables, the daVincis - as well as fine paintings you may not have seen before. We have included paintings from the 13th century to the 20th century, representing every movement from Gothic and Mannerism to Fauvism and Abstract Expressionism. To provide a diverse and comprehensive collection, we chose to include no more than six paintings by any artist. We hope you enjoy the BillionDollarArtGallery as much as we do.

Thomas Kinkade candidly shares his feelings and daily routine as well as his insights in Lightposts for Living. The book is a sincere gift from the heart, allowing a walk down the path lit by Kinkade's vision of how good life can be.

An anthology on American artist Thomas Kincaid, exploring his work and its impact on contemporary art as part of the broader history of American visual culture.

Works of fiction the length of Facebook status updates: “Just because a story is short, even really, really short, doesn’t mean it can’t contain multitudes.” —The New York Times Book Review Alternately surreal, funny, ominous, and lyrical, Lou Beach’s 420 Characters offers an experience as dazzling as any in contemporary fiction. Revealing worlds of meaning in single paragraphs, these crystalline miniature stories that began as Facebook status updates mark a new turn in an acclaimed artist and illustrator’s career. This ebook edition has been enhanced with original collages by the author and with exclusive audio of fifteen stories brilliantly read by legendary rock musician Dave Alvin, Golden Globe–winning actor Ian McShane, and Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges. “A tiny book filled with tiny stories . . . Tragic, absurd, and sweet by turns, each snip of a story is a gem, able to hold its own against more standard-length fare.” —Flavorwire, A Must-Read Pick

ONE OF PEOPLE MAGAZINE'S BEST BOOKS OF SUMMER! "Unstoppable what-happens-next momentum."—Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author "A deliciously tense read."—Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author From award-winning crime writer and celebrated artist Jonathan Santlofer comes an enthralling tale about the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, the forgeries that appeared in its wake, and the present-day underbelly of the art world. August, 1911: The Mona Lisa is stolen by Vincent Peruggia. Exactly what happens in the two years before its recovery is a mystery. Many replicas of the Mona Lisa exist, and more than one historian has wondered if the painting now returned to the Louvre is a fake, switched in 1911. Present day: Art professor Luke Perrone digs for the truth behind his most famous ancestor: Peruggia. His search attracts an Interpol detective with something to prove and an unfamiliar but curiously helpful woman. Soon, Luke tumbles deep into the world of art and forgery, a land of obsession and danger. The Last Mona Lisa is a suspenseful and seductive tale, perfect for fans of the Netflix documentaries This Is A Robbery and Made You Look and readers obsessed with the world of art heists and forgeries.

The self-employment revolution is here. Learn the latest pioneering tactics from real people who are bringing in $1 million a year on their own terms. Join the record number of people who have ended their dependence on traditional employment and embraced entrepreneurship as the ultimate way to control their futures. Determine when, where, and how much you work, and by what values. With up-to-date advice and more real-life success stories, this revised edition of The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business shows the latest strategies you can apply from everyday people who--on their own--are bringing in $1 million a year to live exactly how they want.

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • One of the most remarkable true-crime narratives of the twenty-first century: the story of the world’s most prolific art thief, Stéphane Breitwieser. • “The Art Thief, like its title character, has confidence, élan, and a great sense of timing."—The New Yorker "Enthralling." —The Wall Street Journal In this spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, the best-selling author of The Stranger in the Woods brings us into Breitwieser’s strange world—unlike most thieves, he never stole for money, keeping all his treasures in a single room where he could admire them. For centuries, works of art have been stolen in countless ways from all over the world, but no one has been quite as successful at it as the master thief Stéphane Breitwieser. Carrying out more than two hundred heists over nearly eight years—in museums and cathedrals all over Europe—Breitwieser, along with his girlfriend who worked as his lookout, stole more than three hundred objects, until it all fell apart in spectacular fashion. In The Art Thief, Michael Finkel brings us into Breitwieser’s strange and fascinating world. Unlike most thieves, Breitwieser never stole for money. Instead, he displayed all his treasures in a pair of secret rooms where he could admire them to his heart’s content. Possessed of a remarkable athleticism and an innate ability to circumvent practically any security system, Breitwieser managed to pull off a breathtaking number of audacious thefts. Yet these strange talents bred a growing disregard for risk and an addict’s need to score, leading Breitwieser to ignore his girlfriend’s pleas to stop—until one final act of hubris brought everything crashing down. This is a riveting story of art, crime, love, and an insatiable hunger to possess beauty at any cost.