Thomas Kinkade (born January 19, 1958 in Sacramento, California) is an American (United States) painter (painting) of realistic (Realism (visual arts)), bucolic, and idyllic subjects. He is notable for the mass marketing of his work as printed (Printing) reproductions and other licensed products via The Thomas Kinkade Company. He characterizes himself as "Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light" (a trademarked phrase), and as "Americas most-collected living artist". Media Arts, the publicly-traded company that licenses and sells Kinkades products, claims that 1 in 20 homes in the U.S. feature some form of Thomas Kinkade?s art. He has received criticism for the extent to which he has commercialized (commercialism) his art?for example, selling his prints on the QVC home shopping network. Others have written that his paintings are merely kitsch, without substance, and described it as chocolate box art.