William Thomas Kinkade III (1958 – 2012) was an American and Californian painter of popular realistic, pastoral, and idyllic subjects. He is notable for achieving success during his lifetime with the mass marketing of his work as printed reproductions and other licensed products via the Thomas Kinkade Company. According to Kinkade's company, one in every twenty American homes owns a copy of one of his paintings. However, he drew criticism for some of his behavior and business practices; art critics even faulted his work for being "kitsch". Kinkade died of "acute intoxication" from alcohol and diazepam at the age of 54. Wikipedia.