Kinkade’s love of art grew as he deepened his art studies. In 1976, after attending UC Berkeley for two years, he transferred to the highly respected Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. In 1982, Kinkade and James Gurney co-authored and published their first book, The Artist's Guide to Sketching, a how-to book that is just as much about the adventure of sketching on the road as it is about technique.

Kinkade began his professional career working in the film industry as a background artist for Ralph Bakshi and Frank Frazetta's film Fire and Ice, released in 1983. Kinkade and business partner Ken Raasch founded Lightpost Publishing in 1990, and Kinkade soon gained a reputation as the "Painter of Light." His paintings received national and international acclaim.

Thomas Kinkade realized early in his career the impact his art could make and used it to give back to countless organizations, including World Vision, Make-a-Wish Foundation, and the Salvation Army. Over his lifetime, Kinkade raised tens of millions of dollars for charity.

Throughout his career, Kinkade's style varied from landscapes, figurative works, significant portraits, cartoons, and plein air to what we most commonly picture as the work of the Painter of Light. Kinkade's artistic career continued until the day he passed away. His daughters, Merritt and Chandler, who run the Kinkade Family Foundation today, discovered a trove of never-before-seen art in a vault following their father’s passing. These works helped his family better understand his professional and personal journey. Kinkade is survived by his wife, Nanette Kinkade, and four daughters, who have been left with a prolific collection of works that share a deep, layered, and complex story about Thomas Kinkade.