California Panel Finds against “Painter of Light”

A California court panel has put a stain on the image of the so-called “painter of light.” The art business is watching closely at the case being handled by a Birmingham law firm.

A Virginia couple had been fans and collectors of Thomas Kinkade, whose glowing images of seascapes and street scenes, along with spiritual values, have sold millions in paintings. However, the couple went broke after they opened two Kincade galleries.

Their lawsuit charged Kincade’s [sic] company with fraudulently inducing them to invest by failing to disclose information that would have kept them from opening the galleries. An arbitration panel agreed, awarding the couple $860,000 dollars. The panel’s opinion said Kincade’s [sic] company held itself out to be acting on a higher plane, using terms such as “Christian”, “God”, and conveying a sense of higher calling to attract investors.

In testimony, one of the investors described business dealings with Kinkade as “devastating,” alleging they were forced to stock their stores with expensive Kinkade paintings that were slow-selling dogs.

Birmingham lawyer Norman Yatooma has other Kinkade cases pending. Despite the many Kinkade collectors around the world, critics dismiss his work as overly sentimental, and pedestrian.