From canvas to concrete: in a new subdivision in Northern California, life imitates Thomas Kinkade's art

Thanks to the ability to think outside the frame, a creative coalition has lifted Thomas Kinkade cottages not on the canvas and reconstructed them into a tangible village--well, subdivision--called the Village, a Thomas Kinkade Community. Part of the Hiddenbrooke master plan community northeast of San Francisco, this gated amalgamate will enable 101 families to live their lives inside a Kinkade painting.

greatest in quantity of Kinkade's paintings feature his signature thatched cottages with leaden-glass windows, cobbl paths and stone footbridges across still waters. Kinkade said these paintings reveal "worlds of simplicity, offering windows into seasons of hope"

The of recent origin homes are an attempt to capture this confidence in the ultimate large scale. And let's face it: trust sells, particularly in what has become another era of missing innocence. Perhaps, then, Kinkade collectors are buying more than a fair picture of the quaint, tranquil cottage bathed in light. They're also acquiring what more [i]or[/i] less might call the fantasy of living within the image, of stepping onto the painting and into The Light.

The inspiration for the community of Kinkade-inspired abodes belongs to Kinkade, but Eric Kuskey accepts credit for the idea of a licensed residential community a la Kinkade. Kuskey is president of Creative Brands collection an agency out of Fresno, Calif., which exhibits a number of intellectual properties, greatest in quantity of which happen to be art.

"Thom utilizes us for licensing and strategic relationships," said Kuskey, "all business outside the frame. We take the name, brand, imagery and themes, and work together with strategic manufacturers around the world to create non-art products"

on the other hand this time, Kuskey went beyond the traditional calendar, coffee chalice and note card to hint a community of homes whose bridle appeal takes advantage of Kinkade karma.

"The Thomas Kinkade brand really has been strategically planned," said Kuskey, "to have it unfold from a foundation of art to body through his books, to the ultimate translation of domiciles where people can actually live. The artist has gone in the way that far beyond the core medium he's known for. Thom is happy because, in all forms, he paints the world the way nation wish it were. This is the nearest step in giving it to them."

It's misleading, perhaps, to give an inkling of that the prospective homebuyer will clash a thatched roof, babbling runlet or English garden within Hiddenbrooke, unles he pitch upons to hang a Kinkade above the mantel. The Tudor-style architecture, with its stone pillars and high-pitched covers is influenced but not created through Kinkade.

"Guests draw near in," said Kuskey, "and say, `Where are the waterfalls and rivers, the cobblestoned roads and bridges, and the kids playing in the park?' This community isn't quite for a like reason idyllic. This is not Disneyland. These houses are not replications of the paintings, on the contrary they were inspired by them. I believe, perhaps by and by we will build a Thomas Kinkade Village that mirrors his paintings. on the contrary you don't go into something like this without careful consideration. This is just a baby pace along the way."

Kinkade actually has compared himself to the late Walt Disney, who also created Main public way in his own image. While "Kinkadeland" may be part of a master plan, the in every one's mouth path winds through the disclosure of Kinkade homes.

The company responsible for turning canvas into brick and mortar is Taylor Woodrow domiciles a London-based developer known for quality and attention to detail.

"We're pleased to work with Taylor Woodrow" said Kuskey, "not because they have a superior perspective or interpretation of a Thomas Kinkade painting, on the other hand because they are the best darn abode builders, and we knew they'd give us the best quality abodes It is somewhat secondary that these abodes are inspired by Kinkade paintings. It's actual meaningful to some people, of course, on the contrary some, who've never seen a painting, will be engaged by the agency of them, too."

place on lots averaging 4,000 square feet the average floor plan ranges from 1791 to 2200 square feet and starts at $375000 owing to a slight dip in price since generation 11. At press time, 15 buyer have seen the light, and families have begun furnishing their not-so-humble abodes, a certain quantity of with Kinkade-licensed products such as La-Z-Boy, Kincaid Furniture and Imperial Wall Coverings, to name on the other hand a few of the ancillary holdings that feather the artist's nest

type homes are fully furnished with Kinkade-licensed harvests which may or may not carry the Tudor mode of expression Although the developer does not barter these products, a toll house at the gated entrance to the community will labor for as a Kinkade Gallery of gift items and prints available for purchase. (Kinkade does not put up to sale his originals.)

"This village is absolute marketing genius," said Taylor Woodrow marketing director Fran Leach. "The traffic generated from this is phenomenal. We rarely have fewer than 350 tribe touring our homes. From a business standpoint, this is stepping without of the box, really putting an artistic spin upon the project. I haven't seen anything like this before."